THE ART OF BREGUET
Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Apr 14, 1991
LOT 49
A Monsieur le Comte D'Archinto Watch No. 2489, sold on 22 May 1820, for the sum of 1800 Francs. Gold watch with "grande" and "petite" sonnerie striking and minute repeating.
CHF 110,000 - 130,000
Sold: CHF 115,000
Case: 18 ct., four body, quatre baguettes form, by Joly, No. 2252, engine-turned à grains d'orge.
Glazed gold cuvette.
Dial: Engine-turned silver, signed: "Breguet et
Fils", with Roman numerals on a plain reserve.
Blued-steel Breguet hands.
Movement: Gilt metal, 20"', full plate, the back
signed: "Breguet, No. 2489", with turned pillars,
two barrels and trains, counterpoised lateral
lever escapement with jewelled pallets, two-arm
bimetallic compensation balance with adjusting
screws inset into the rims, elastic suspension on
both pivots. Blued-steel Breguet balance spring.
Grande/petite sonnerie striking on two gongs with
two hammers, the strike/silent, Grande/petite
selection levers through the edge of the glazed
cuvette. Independant quarter-repeating train with
two hammers on two gongs, by a pull-twist piston
in the pendant.
In very good condition.
Diam. 53 mm.
Notes
Exhibition: This watch was exhibited in Paris at the Palais Galliéra, in October 1923, on the centenary of the death of Abraham Louis Breguet, Cat. No. 16.
Note: Watches with minute-repeating are most uncommon at this period. In fact the majority of the watches produced by Breguet with grandesonnerie striking combined with a separate repeating train were destined for the Islamic market. However, the quality of this movement, constructed on the principals of the garde-temps, is superior to most of the examples destined for the Middle East, which were usually fitted with a ruby cylinder escapement. Workmanship throughout is exceptional, with much of the highly finished striking mechanism visible on the back plate, and a lateral lever escapement of the most developed form, with adjustable jewelled pallets, draw, the balance with inset adjusting weights and shock protection on both pivots. (For details of the escapement see G. Daniels, The Art of Breguet, p. 304 - 314, fig. 391. ) Biography: Little information has been found to be readily available on the life of the Comte d' Archinto (1783 - 1861). From a noble Milanese family, he was Ambassador to the House of Austria.