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Lot Essay
This large and superb example of Breguet’s famous ‘Montre de Souscription’ perfectly captures the essence of the unparalleled genius of Abraham-Louis Breguet. In exceptional condition, this watch features a much rarer and beautiful gold dial. In addition, the caseback is unusually decorated with a pattern of concentric circles used only on a small number of Breguet’s watches. It was sold to a Monsieur Frédéric Frackmann during the final year of the French First Republic, 1805. Although little is known about Frédéric Frackmann, he purchased at least two other watches from Breguet, including repeating watch no. 1736, bought on the same day as the present watch and featuring identical case decoration. Another repeating watch, no. 2838, was bought by Frackmann a year earlier. It could be suggested that Frédéric Frackmann was either an agent or was collecting watches from Breguet on behalf of Russian clients. The certificate for watch no. 1736 describes the buyer as “Monsieur Frackmann in Moscow”. The distinctive case decoration seen on both the present watch and no. 1736 may indicate that watches decorated in this way were perhaps originally intended for the Russian market.
Breguet’s Montre de Souscription
In the Notice, published in approximately 1796, to launch the ‘Souscription’, Breguet pointed out that although watches destined for marine or astronomical use, had reached a high degree of perfection, those destined for civil use were of mediocre quality. Furthermore, as the best quality watches were too highly priced for the average buyer, he concluded that the market would readily accept a good quality product sold for a reasonable sum. Such a watch should be distinguished by its simplicity, be properly protected against shock damage, and designed in such a way that the wheel-train, escapement and the regulator (balance, balance spring and temperature compensation) were all accessible and capable of being overhauled or repaired by any competent watchmaker. The result was a watch of an entirely novel conception, both simple and functional. The Souscription watches were of a large diameter allowing the dial to be divided in such a way that both hours and minutes could be read from a single hand. The movements had a single plate, the spring barrel mounted in the centre and the wheels elegantly positioned and retained by bridges. The single hand was driven directly off the barrel arbor, eliminating the motion work and the intendant friction, and the ruby cylinder escapement was fitted with a parachute (shock protector) and a compensation curb to assist in correcting temperature errors, features that were already standard for all Breguet's first class watches. To further reduce the selling price, Breguet decided to produce these watches in small series ( between 12 and 20 examples at a time), with the buyers paying an account of 25 % in advance and the balance on completion. Hence the term: de Souscription (by subscription). The success of these watches enabled Breguet to both re-establish his business, which had understandably been badly affected by the French Revolution and his exile in Switzerland, and to finance much of his research into other areas of horology. According to the firm's records, the first Souscription watch was delivered in 1796 with the No. 96. They are entered in the registers as: ‘Montre de souscription’, or sometimes ‘Montre simple à une seule aiguille’. Prices ranged from approximately 600 francs in silver to 900 francs in gold.
Breguet’s Montre de Souscription
In the Notice, published in approximately 1796, to launch the ‘Souscription’, Breguet pointed out that although watches destined for marine or astronomical use, had reached a high degree of perfection, those destined for civil use were of mediocre quality. Furthermore, as the best quality watches were too highly priced for the average buyer, he concluded that the market would readily accept a good quality product sold for a reasonable sum. Such a watch should be distinguished by its simplicity, be properly protected against shock damage, and designed in such a way that the wheel-train, escapement and the regulator (balance, balance spring and temperature compensation) were all accessible and capable of being overhauled or repaired by any competent watchmaker. The result was a watch of an entirely novel conception, both simple and functional. The Souscription watches were of a large diameter allowing the dial to be divided in such a way that both hours and minutes could be read from a single hand. The movements had a single plate, the spring barrel mounted in the centre and the wheels elegantly positioned and retained by bridges. The single hand was driven directly off the barrel arbor, eliminating the motion work and the intendant friction, and the ruby cylinder escapement was fitted with a parachute (shock protector) and a compensation curb to assist in correcting temperature errors, features that were already standard for all Breguet's first class watches. To further reduce the selling price, Breguet decided to produce these watches in small series ( between 12 and 20 examples at a time), with the buyers paying an account of 25 % in advance and the balance on completion. Hence the term: de Souscription (by subscription). The success of these watches enabled Breguet to both re-establish his business, which had understandably been badly affected by the French Revolution and his exile in Switzerland, and to finance much of his research into other areas of horology. According to the firm's records, the first Souscription watch was delivered in 1796 with the No. 96. They are entered in the registers as: ‘Montre de souscription’, or sometimes ‘Montre simple à une seule aiguille’. Prices ranged from approximately 600 francs in silver to 900 francs in gold.