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Lot Essay
With Breguet Certificate no. 4368 dated 23 March 2012. The watch is furthermore delivered with a second silvered brass dial and three spare crystals (broken).
In fact, the present watch (movement no. 2859 fitted inside the case no. 3496), Médaillon simple, excentrique, en or, 13 lignes, already made with the à tact device, was sold on 10 February 1818 to Los Rios, for the amount of 4'000 francs. Taken back from Mr de Calabre, it was sold on 18 December 1837 to F. Baring, for the amount of 6'000 francs. Taken back and resold on 18 August 1856 to the dowager (douairière) Duchess of Saxe, for the amount of 6000 francs (with Certificate No. 1451). The unnumbered étui (outer detachable case), with secret compartment, was probably made when the watch was resold in the late-1830s.
This watch, bearing no. 2859, is the last numbered piece of the third production series. The transition from the Third to the Fourth series took place around 1833 1834. Garde-temps is a term used by Breguet for watches specifically to indicate high-precision watches. A true guarantee of quality, the term could be applied to pieces for scientific use as well as for civils such as this watch made to the same principles as the garde-temps or chronomètres. The montre à tact is a watch with a revolving hand on the front or back cover of the case. The hand can be turned until arrested by a stop in the movement and the time will be indicated by the position of the hand relative to touch pieces at the edge of the case.
The pare-chute (parachute) suspension is a safety device invented by Breguet to protect the pivots of a balance from damage if the watch is dropped or knocked. The bearing is fitted into a spring which flexes with the inertia of the balance and allows the shock to be taken by the stronger pivot shoulders of the balance staff. Sometimes it was called suspension élastique. This invention is fully explained and illustrated by George Daniels in his The Art of Breguet (1975), pp. 331-332, ill. 407a-b, 408 and 409a-b.
In fact, the present watch (movement no. 2859 fitted inside the case no. 3496), Médaillon simple, excentrique, en or, 13 lignes, already made with the à tact device, was sold on 10 February 1818 to Los Rios, for the amount of 4'000 francs. Taken back from Mr de Calabre, it was sold on 18 December 1837 to F. Baring, for the amount of 6'000 francs. Taken back and resold on 18 August 1856 to the dowager (douairière) Duchess of Saxe, for the amount of 6000 francs (with Certificate No. 1451). The unnumbered étui (outer detachable case), with secret compartment, was probably made when the watch was resold in the late-1830s.
This watch, bearing no. 2859, is the last numbered piece of the third production series. The transition from the Third to the Fourth series took place around 1833 1834. Garde-temps is a term used by Breguet for watches specifically to indicate high-precision watches. A true guarantee of quality, the term could be applied to pieces for scientific use as well as for civils such as this watch made to the same principles as the garde-temps or chronomètres. The montre à tact is a watch with a revolving hand on the front or back cover of the case. The hand can be turned until arrested by a stop in the movement and the time will be indicated by the position of the hand relative to touch pieces at the edge of the case.
The pare-chute (parachute) suspension is a safety device invented by Breguet to protect the pivots of a balance from damage if the watch is dropped or knocked. The bearing is fitted into a spring which flexes with the inertia of the balance and allows the shock to be taken by the stronger pivot shoulders of the balance staff. Sometimes it was called suspension élastique. This invention is fully explained and illustrated by George Daniels in his The Art of Breguet (1975), pp. 331-332, ill. 407a-b, 408 and 409a-b.