Note: This is without question the smallest watch with keyless winding and hand-setting produced by any firm before the advent of the wristwatch in the late 19th. century. As such it represents an important step in the development of the modern mechanical wristwatch,and would appear to confirm that the firm of Breguet were the inventors of the combined keyless winding and hand-setting through the crown. Although only 16 examples were made,their appearance must have caused a sensation amongst Breguet's clientele,for virtually all were sold to his most important and prestigious customers.The majority were in fact made to be fitted into a ring or bracelet, and on a certificate supplied with an identical watch, under No. 5019, the following is written (translated) "... this work is the best that it is possible to do, being the most unusual and the most perfect of its type. Platinum is used for the balance as it is the metal with the least expansion, it being impossible to fit a compensation balance into a watch of such small size". The first sold appears to be No. 4951, made for a bracelet, and sold to the Maquess of Londonderry, on 23 September 1831, for 3000 Francs, followed by two watches bearing the indentical numbers, 5019, one made for a ring, and sold for 3000 Francs to Madame Baudin on 24 December 1831, and the other to the Comte Merislas Potocki for 3800 Francs on 29 March 1833. Following are the other examples: No. 5037, for a ring, sold for 3100 Francs, to Madame Baudin on 2 October 1832. No. 5038, for a bracelet, sold for 4200 Francs, to Monsieur le Comte Demidoff on 13 October 1832. No. 5039, sold for 3000 Francs, to Monsieur le Baron Schickler on 30 December 1831. No.5078, for a ring, sold for 3100 Francs, to Madame Baudin on 13 April 1833. No.5079, sold for 2900 Francs, to the young Infanta of Spain on 5 March 1833. No.5080, for a ring, sold for 3000 Francs, to Monsieur le Comte Demidoff on 31 May 1832. No. 5102, set with diamonds, sold for 4250 Francs, to Her Majesty Queen Victoria of England on 17 July 1838. No. 5114, for a ring, sold for 3500 Francs, to the Marquise Viconti 6herardini on 31 August 1833, bought back, and resold to the Grande'Duchesse Marie de Leichtenberg on 26 August 1839. No. 4, for a bracelet, sold for 4000 Francs, by Wenham on 13 July 1836. No.5, sold for 3600 Francs with a rebate of 600 Francs, to Breguet (père) on 3 January 1845. No. 6, for a seal/ring, and No.7, were the two sold for 3000 and 4000 Francs respectively, to Monsieur le Comte de Fersen. No. 9, for a bracelet, sold for 3500 Francs, to Charles Blom.
Literature: Sir David Salomon had two examples in his collection, which are described under No. 54 and 55 in his book: Breguet, Private printing of English edition of 1921, pages 172 and 173. Similar watches are also described by G. Daniels: The Art of Breguet, p. 291, fig. 369 a - c. and p. 292, fig. 372, a - c. It would appear that the watch offered for sale is the only example with a skeletonized chapter ring, enabling the movement to be seen; all the other known examples having a full engine-turned dial. See lot 96 for a further note on the early keyless work.
COUNT AXEL VON FERSEN (1798- ? ) Count Axel von Fersen was born in 1798, the son of Count Fabian Reinhold von Fersen and the nephew of Axel von Fersen the younger, (1755 - 1810), who was the closest of companions to Marie Antoinette. From 1821 to 1823 he was adjutant to King Karl Johan XVI, and then appointed a major in the army. He was a great admirer of the English life-style, and was the first Swede to build a racecourse and to import thoroughbred horses. Count Fersen died in Pisa, unmarried and without any heir to follow.