THE ART OF BREGUET
Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Apr 14, 1991
LOT 72
A Monsieur le Chevalier Airoldi Watch No. 3890, sold on 23 October 1823, for the sum of 1440 Francs. Gold watch with quarter-repeating.
CHF 40,000 - 60,000
Sold: CHF 46,000
Case: 18 ct., three body, quatre baguettes form, by Joly, No.161, engine-turned à grains d'orge. Gilt
metal cuvette signed: "Breguet, Horloger de la
Marine Royale, No.3890".
Dial: Engine-turned, silver, by Joly, signed:
"Breguet", with Roman numerals on a plain
reserve. Blued-steel Breguet hands.
Movement: Gilt metal, 21"', bar caliber, with
overhanging ruby cylinder escapement, threearm
plain brass balance, with }parachute on the
top pivot. Blued-steel flat balance spring with
bimetallic compensation curb on the regulator.
Repeating on two gongs with two hammers, the
pull-twist piston in the pendant.
In very good condition, with Breguet style gold
chain and a gold key.
Notes
History: According to the records this watch was returned to the workshop for overhaul on 26 August 1829, at the
request of Chevalier Airoldi.
CESARE AIROLDI Sicilian politician - Mineralogist (1774-1858) The Airoldi family had only' just arrived in Palermo, originating from Lombardy, when Cesare was born in 1774. As a student, he first studied Law, but his meeting with Spallanzani and the subsequent immersion in a thriving scientific milieu convinced the young man to abandon his legal studies and reorientate himself towards the natural sciences. When the French troops entered Sicily in 1796, Cesare Airoldi was busily engaged in the study of local minerals. However Cesare Airoldi's name began to be frequently mentioned in the political arena, following Lord Bentinck's decisive intervention in the affairs of the Bourbon family. His reputation - one of rectitude and impartiality - was often brought up in the negotiations which were to lead to the formation of the Castelnuovo-Belmont ministry. He was convokeTo the Sicilian Parliament in 1812 to expose his ideas on the reforms needed in the Kingdom. Although he clearly belonged to the Castelnuovo circle, he showed autonomy, encouraging the concept of a total and unimpaired freedom of the press, militating in favor of better representation and arguing for the immediate abolition of a peculiar testamentary rovision which favored third parties, an abolition that Catelvuono had attempted to postpone for political reasons. Later Cesare Airoldi formed with Settimo, Varguarnera and others a constitutional club whose objective was to support the candidacy of liberal representatives to the House of Commons. When the new Parliament met on July 8th, 1813, he was elected as President of the House of Commons, defeating along the way the democratic candidate Vaccaro, and surmounting what criticism emanated from Belmont's partisans. In this function, Cesare Airoldi displayed independence of thought ; following the Palerma troubles which induced the Government to call on the Military Tribunal and adjourn Parliament, Cesare Airoldi protested forcefully to the Prince because the legal procedure had not been respected. When the Castelnuovo-Belmont ministry fell later that year (August 11th), he resigned from the House of Commons. He was subsequently called to participate in the negotiations conducted by Lord Bentinck which were to lead to the setting-up of a new Castelnuovo ministry. However Cesare Airoldi refused the Interior portfolio which was offered to him, accepting only a post of director in that ministry. He was later to intervene successfully in the parliamentary elections of the constitutional pro-English candidates. The dismissal, on July 6th, of Cesare Airoldi and the entire ministry by a Ferdinand III hungry for power generated violent protest. When Parliament eventually reopened, Cesare Airoldi flatly refused the presidency of the House of Commons which was offered to him. Five days later, Parliament was dissolved and the man who had played a key role in Sicilian politics for decades left the island with a group of political allies. He visited Switzerland, France, England and Belgium, before eventually settling in Florence in 1824. Cesare Airoldi moved in literary and scientific circles, notably that of Charlotte Mareschini, and devoted his time to the research of mineralogical material. At that time he embarked on a project into which he put his heart and soul : the impression of the alphabetical catalogue of his own mineralogical collection, which appeared in 1850. Cesare Airoldi's attachment to his native island never subsided and he returned to visit Palermo in 1839, after the lifting of the ban on his entry into the Kingdom. He bequeathed his library to that town, as well as numerous scientific works and the rare coin collection he had inherited from his uncle. On December 28th, 1858, Cesare Airoldi died peacefully in Florence, in the city which had become his second home.
CESARE AIROLDI Sicilian politician - Mineralogist (1774-1858) The Airoldi family had only' just arrived in Palermo, originating from Lombardy, when Cesare was born in 1774. As a student, he first studied Law, but his meeting with Spallanzani and the subsequent immersion in a thriving scientific milieu convinced the young man to abandon his legal studies and reorientate himself towards the natural sciences. When the French troops entered Sicily in 1796, Cesare Airoldi was busily engaged in the study of local minerals. However Cesare Airoldi's name began to be frequently mentioned in the political arena, following Lord Bentinck's decisive intervention in the affairs of the Bourbon family. His reputation - one of rectitude and impartiality - was often brought up in the negotiations which were to lead to the formation of the Castelnuovo-Belmont ministry. He was convokeTo the Sicilian Parliament in 1812 to expose his ideas on the reforms needed in the Kingdom. Although he clearly belonged to the Castelnuovo circle, he showed autonomy, encouraging the concept of a total and unimpaired freedom of the press, militating in favor of better representation and arguing for the immediate abolition of a peculiar testamentary rovision which favored third parties, an abolition that Catelvuono had attempted to postpone for political reasons. Later Cesare Airoldi formed with Settimo, Varguarnera and others a constitutional club whose objective was to support the candidacy of liberal representatives to the House of Commons. When the new Parliament met on July 8th, 1813, he was elected as President of the House of Commons, defeating along the way the democratic candidate Vaccaro, and surmounting what criticism emanated from Belmont's partisans. In this function, Cesare Airoldi displayed independence of thought ; following the Palerma troubles which induced the Government to call on the Military Tribunal and adjourn Parliament, Cesare Airoldi protested forcefully to the Prince because the legal procedure had not been respected. When the Castelnuovo-Belmont ministry fell later that year (August 11th), he resigned from the House of Commons. He was subsequently called to participate in the negotiations conducted by Lord Bentinck which were to lead to the setting-up of a new Castelnuovo ministry. However Cesare Airoldi refused the Interior portfolio which was offered to him, accepting only a post of director in that ministry. He was later to intervene successfully in the parliamentary elections of the constitutional pro-English candidates. The dismissal, on July 6th, of Cesare Airoldi and the entire ministry by a Ferdinand III hungry for power generated violent protest. When Parliament eventually reopened, Cesare Airoldi flatly refused the presidency of the House of Commons which was offered to him. Five days later, Parliament was dissolved and the man who had played a key role in Sicilian politics for decades left the island with a group of political allies. He visited Switzerland, France, England and Belgium, before eventually settling in Florence in 1824. Cesare Airoldi moved in literary and scientific circles, notably that of Charlotte Mareschini, and devoted his time to the research of mineralogical material. At that time he embarked on a project into which he put his heart and soul : the impression of the alphabetical catalogue of his own mineralogical collection, which appeared in 1850. Cesare Airoldi's attachment to his native island never subsided and he returned to visit Palermo in 1839, after the lifting of the ban on his entry into the Kingdom. He bequeathed his library to that town, as well as numerous scientific works and the rare coin collection he had inherited from his uncle. On December 28th, 1858, Cesare Airoldi died peacefully in Florence, in the city which had become his second home.