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Lot Essay
According to the Archives of Montres Breguet, the present watch was sold on 14 November 1843 to Monsieur de Labensky, a faithful client of the firm.
With Breguet original certificate confirming the sale of the present watch to Monsieur De Labensky for the amount of 1,260 Francs, "after deduction of 40 Francs for the gold chain which has been withdrawn". The original fitted Breguet, Neveu & Cie. red leather presentation box numbered 442 contains a spare crystal as well as a gold ratchet key. The certificate, interestingly undated, furthermore states the red presentation box containing a spare crystal, the reverse lists the worldwide agents of Breguet to which the watch can be sent "in case of accident" as well as detailed instructions in regard to the winding, the regulation, the hour setting and the repeating mechanism.
The present watch is also delivered with an envelope inscribed in Swedish "Belongs to Harald's fine gold pocket watch which he got from his father Axel and he received as a memory from grandfather Camille de Labensky who received it in heritage from his uncle de Labensky. Very valuable! Keep with care!", containing the following original documents:
-the upper part of a letterhead of Charles Grottendieck, Horlogerie fine, with facsimile note "Tillhör Harald", Swedish for "Belongs to Harald" and a second part of the letterhead of a watchmaker in Stockholm marked "14 Dec 18??, Labens.." and "Harald"
-an original envelope addressed to Olof Gyldén, Lieutenant in the Royal Swedish Navy, H.M. Canonboat Urd, Karlskrona, dated 2 September 1896, containing a dried trefoil (most likely Captain Hans Olof Fredrik Gyldén who led the Swedish relief expedition to Otto Nordenskjöld's Antarctica expedition from 1903-04, venture during which Axel Klinckowström made ornithological observations, mainly of penguins, at Hope Bay)
-a hand-written note in French reading "For my grandson Axel Klinckowström. I bequeath him this precious souvenir of his grandfather, with the hope that he will appreciate it as well as the affection for him and for his mother who led my choice for the donation that I wanted to leave him. Stafsund August 1897".
According to the latter, it can be assumed that the watch, originally bought by François or Francis de Labensky, director of the Imperial Ermitage in St. Petersburg from 1797 to 1843, was bequeathed to his nephew Camille de Labensky, Russian ambassador at the court of Hesse-Darmstadt and faithful servant of Empress Catherine the Great of Russia. Camille de Labensky left it with the previously mentioned hand-written note to his grandson Count Axel Alexander Camille Rudolf Klinckowström who handed it down to his son Harald Klinckowström. Baron Dr. Axel Alexander Camille Rudolf Emanuel Klinckowström (24 December 1867 Darmstadt, Hessen - 12 May 1936 Stafsund), was a Swedish zoologist and author of poems, books related to travels, history of art and others. Axel Klinckowström's wife was Sigrid Maria Thyra Gyldén, possibly the sister of Olof Gyldén with whom Klinckowström participated at the Swedish Relief Expedition.
The present watch is distinguished not only by its very good, original overall condition but also by the presence of the original certificate and box, rarities by themselves, and the interesting provenance, traceable from 1843 until the first half of the 20th century.
With Breguet original certificate confirming the sale of the present watch to Monsieur De Labensky for the amount of 1,260 Francs, "after deduction of 40 Francs for the gold chain which has been withdrawn". The original fitted Breguet, Neveu & Cie. red leather presentation box numbered 442 contains a spare crystal as well as a gold ratchet key. The certificate, interestingly undated, furthermore states the red presentation box containing a spare crystal, the reverse lists the worldwide agents of Breguet to which the watch can be sent "in case of accident" as well as detailed instructions in regard to the winding, the regulation, the hour setting and the repeating mechanism.
The present watch is also delivered with an envelope inscribed in Swedish "Belongs to Harald's fine gold pocket watch which he got from his father Axel and he received as a memory from grandfather Camille de Labensky who received it in heritage from his uncle de Labensky. Very valuable! Keep with care!", containing the following original documents:
-the upper part of a letterhead of Charles Grottendieck, Horlogerie fine, with facsimile note "Tillhör Harald", Swedish for "Belongs to Harald" and a second part of the letterhead of a watchmaker in Stockholm marked "14 Dec 18??, Labens.." and "Harald"
-an original envelope addressed to Olof Gyldén, Lieutenant in the Royal Swedish Navy, H.M. Canonboat Urd, Karlskrona, dated 2 September 1896, containing a dried trefoil (most likely Captain Hans Olof Fredrik Gyldén who led the Swedish relief expedition to Otto Nordenskjöld's Antarctica expedition from 1903-04, venture during which Axel Klinckowström made ornithological observations, mainly of penguins, at Hope Bay)
-a hand-written note in French reading "For my grandson Axel Klinckowström. I bequeath him this precious souvenir of his grandfather, with the hope that he will appreciate it as well as the affection for him and for his mother who led my choice for the donation that I wanted to leave him. Stafsund August 1897".
According to the latter, it can be assumed that the watch, originally bought by François or Francis de Labensky, director of the Imperial Ermitage in St. Petersburg from 1797 to 1843, was bequeathed to his nephew Camille de Labensky, Russian ambassador at the court of Hesse-Darmstadt and faithful servant of Empress Catherine the Great of Russia. Camille de Labensky left it with the previously mentioned hand-written note to his grandson Count Axel Alexander Camille Rudolf Klinckowström who handed it down to his son Harald Klinckowström. Baron Dr. Axel Alexander Camille Rudolf Emanuel Klinckowström (24 December 1867 Darmstadt, Hessen - 12 May 1936 Stafsund), was a Swedish zoologist and author of poems, books related to travels, history of art and others. Axel Klinckowström's wife was Sigrid Maria Thyra Gyldén, possibly the sister of Olof Gyldén with whom Klinckowström participated at the Swedish Relief Expedition.
The present watch is distinguished not only by its very good, original overall condition but also by the presence of the original certificate and box, rarities by themselves, and the interesting provenance, traceable from 1843 until the first half of the 20th century.