History: Begun before Breguet went into exile during the Revolution, (unfortunately the relevant page in the fabrication books is lacking), this watch was first sold under the No. 122 on 11 Prairial an 12 (31 May 1804) to a Monseigneur Desbarolles for the sum of 4464 Francs. Bought back from a Monsieur J.C. Meyer on 12 April 1816 for 3600 Francs, it was completely restored and resold on 6 January 1818 to Prince Wolkonsky re-numbered 3175, for 4800 Francs. Bought back from the Prince Wolkonsky on 7 July 1823 for 3500 Francs, complete] restored, it was resold again on 10 November 1829 to Comte Merystas Potocki for 4000 Francs. Bought back on 31 January 1831 for 2800 Francs it was resold to Prince Paul of Wurtemberg on 10 May 1833, as stated on Certificate No. 131. Note: For technical and historical details relevant to this watch, see lots 8 and 9, as well as the glossary.
Petr Mikhaïlovitch HIS HIGHNESS THE PRINCE WOLKONSKY (1776 - 1852) Petr Mikhaïlowitch Wolkonsky, Field-Marshal, member of the Council of the Empire, Minister to the Court and the States, Chancellor to the Russian Orders. He was born on 26 April 1776, the son of Mikhail Petrovitch Wolkonsky, Brigadier, and the Princess Elizabeth Petrovna, born Princess Makauloff. He began his military career in the Horse Guards before moving to the Semenovsky regiment to be made an officer in 1793. Although he had been made aide-de-camp to the Grand Duke Alexander Pavlowitch by the Czar Paul 1, he in fact took an active part in the murder of the Czar on 1.1 March 1801 and was made Maréchal aide-de-camp on the day that Alexander I was crowned. During the campaign of 1805, he was attached to the Russian auxiliary corps under Count Buxhoewden as General in charge of supply. Upon the uniting of all the forces under Koutouzoff, he became General of the United Russian Army. At the battle of Austerlitz, he proved himself to be both courageous and gifted with an extraordinary presence of mind: the Kamenski Brigade whilst attacking the-heights of Pratzen, was repulsed by a superior French force, but Wolkonsky seizing the standard of the Fanagoriysky Regiment launched himself at the ranks by the enemy, throwing them into confusion and capturing two canons. This exploit earned him the Cross of St. George 3rd Class. After Tilsit, The Emperor sent him to France, with instructions to study the organisation of the French army and its staff The result of this two year mission was a brilliant report, presented to the Emperor, which brought him his promotion to Director of Armaments for the army. During the Patriotic war, Wolkonsky was almost constantly attached to the Emperor's staff, and was amongst those members of the war council who pressed for the abandonment of the infamous camp at Driss, where the army was almost wiped out. Early in 1813, he was promoted to Chief of Staff under Koutouzoff, and upon the latter's death, to the Czar Alexander. He was subsequently involved in all the allied planning meetings, being the first to point out Leipzig as the strategic point where the fortunes of Napoleon might be decided; on the look out during the battle he pointed out to the Emperor the potentially dangerous position taken up by Schwartzenberg which was then fortunately changed. After the French campaign, he put forward a project entitled, D ' é t a t Major General t i e sa Majesté, designed to centralise the entire military organisation of the Empire; the plan being approved, he was named the new Chief of Staff, a position that he held until 1823. In his position as Chief of Supplies, Prince Wolkonsky may rightly be considered as the founder of the Russian General Staff; his organisation being the result of a profound theoretical study combined with the practical lessons of wartime. One of his first actions was to have drawn a new military map of Russia, and to establish the library for the High Command. In 1824, Wolkonsky was present as special envoy at the coronation of Charles X, and he further became Court Minister to Czar Nicholas on the day of his crowning. At the inauguration of Alexander's Column, on 30 August 1834, he received the title of Highness, in recognition of his services to the late monarch, both as a companion and adviser throughout the military campaigns. Prince Wolkonsky, despite his close relationship with Alexander I. , never abused his power. According to his contemporaries, he was always remarkably impartial, refusing to show favoritism to friends or family, and demanding nothing from them - he was known for his total dislike of nepotism. Noble and generous by nature, he was nevertheless firm when necessary, and in the later years of Czar Alexander's reign, played a necessary role in tempering the power of Araktcheff, whom he despised, considering him to be most dangerous man for Russia and the Monarch. He died at the age of 77, on 26 August 1852 and was buried in the Chapel of the Semenovsky regiment in St. Petersburg.