THE ART OF BREGUET

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Apr 14, 1991

LOT 94

A Monsieur le Colonel Boutourlin Watch No. 4863, sold 12 September 1837, for the sum of 1800 Francs. Gold half hunting-cased "simple médaillon" watch, formerly "a tact". Original short chain and male key.

CHF 35,000 - 45,000

Case: 18 ct., three body, quatre baguettes form, by Tavernier No. 210, engine-turned à grains d'orge, with platinum touch pieces in the band, and black champlevé enamel Roman numerals on the edge of the dial aperture. Gold cuvette signed: " Breguet No. 4863'.
Dial: White enamel, signed: "Breguet", with Breguet numerals and five-minute divisions, secret signature below "12" (small hair lines). Blued-steel Breguet souscription hand.
Movement: Gilt brass, 15"', souscription caliber with central barrel and female winding square, overhanging ruby cylinder escapement, three-arm plain gold balance, with parachute on the top pivot. Blued-steel flat balance spring. In good condition. Diam. 42 mm.


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Notes

History: According to the repair books this watch was returned on 3 September 1847 by Monsieur Jominy who requested that the exterior à tact hand should be removed and replaced by a glass. Provenance: Formerly in the Sir David Salomon Collection, No. 60. Sold at Christie 's, London, as lot 13, catalogue part I, on 1 December 1964.
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. 205.
COLONEL DMITRI PETROVITCH BOUTOURLIN (1790-1849)
Commissioned in the army in Galicia in 1809, Boutourlin took part in the campaign of 1812-1814, being promoted to Sub-Lieutenant in 1813. He became aide-de-camp to General Levachov after being decorated with the Prussian Order of Merit. Fighting with the French army in 1823, he was present at the siege of Silestria in 1829, and was subsequently elected to the Senate in 1833, becoming a Privy Counsellor and a member of the Counsel of the Empire in 1841. He was also something of a literary man, being Director of the public library of St. Petersburg and the author of several historical works written in French, including L'Histoire Militaire de la Campagne de 1812, published by Anselme in 1824. In the same year he married Elisaveta, daughter of Mikhail Ivanovitch Kombourlei and Anna Andreevna Kondratiev (see lot 92).