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拍品專文
With matching brass key.
According to the archives of Montres Breguet, the present marine chrnometer was sold to Monsieur Ducom de Bordeaux on 7 December 1818 for the sum of 3,000 Francs, with a 10 discount totaling 2,700 Francs. The records futhermore state that it was returned to Breguet's workshops in December 1892 on behalf of Monsieur Friedlin who confirmed being very satisfied with its performance and requested only an overhaul before embarking it on a trip around the world.
Demonstrating French marine chronometry at its best, the present chronometer is a fine and example of one of Breguet's rarer variants of these precision timepieces, distinguished by its eight-day movement and power reserve indication as opposed to the better known and less costly two-day version. Of different construction than the latter, the eight-day movements consist of two plates containing barrel and fusée (replacing the second barrel of the two-day movements to obtain uniform running), escapement and balance placed on an elevated navette-shaped platform.
As in all other fields of horology, Abraham-Louis Breguet contributed significantly to the development of marine chronometers, a category on which he had begun working already around 1796. In 1814 he became a member of the Board of Longitude in Paris, a body set up by the National Convention in 1795 with the aim of perfecting the various fields of astronomy and their application in geography, navigation and physics. The prestigious Board comprised some twenty members, including mathematicians, astronomers, former navigators and associated craftsmen - Breguet being the sole representative of the clockmaking profession, crucial for physicists and navigators. The second recognition followed on 27 October 1815 when he was bestowed "Horloger de la Marine", Horloger to the Royal Navy, by the King, a nomination confirming highest scientific ability and unquestionably the most prestigious title a clockmaker could aspire to. He consequently became the accredited (however not exclusive) supplier to the navy and by 1818, the production of marine chronometers was well under way. Supply of these pieces was not limited to the French Navy and Breguet sold his chronometers also to retailers in the principal French ports, such as Ducom in Bordeaux, and to private individuals, including naval officers, scientists and foreign clients, notably the London Board of Longitude. Taking is position as Horloger de la Marine extremely seriously, he published in 1817 the 23-page booklet "Instructions on the Use of Marine Watches made by M. Breguet", an informative manual full of advice on the use of marine timepieces and the verification of their accuracy (see Breguet - Watchmakers since 1766 by Emmanuel Breguet, pp. 244 - 246).
The high prices paid by the French Marine resulted in luxurious chronometers of finest finishing in sumptuous mahogany boxes with hand-finished brass fittings, beautifully combining esthetical appeal and finest precision timekeeping.
According to the archives of Montres Breguet, the present marine chrnometer was sold to Monsieur Ducom de Bordeaux on 7 December 1818 for the sum of 3,000 Francs, with a 10 discount totaling 2,700 Francs. The records futhermore state that it was returned to Breguet's workshops in December 1892 on behalf of Monsieur Friedlin who confirmed being very satisfied with its performance and requested only an overhaul before embarking it on a trip around the world.
Demonstrating French marine chronometry at its best, the present chronometer is a fine and example of one of Breguet's rarer variants of these precision timepieces, distinguished by its eight-day movement and power reserve indication as opposed to the better known and less costly two-day version. Of different construction than the latter, the eight-day movements consist of two plates containing barrel and fusée (replacing the second barrel of the two-day movements to obtain uniform running), escapement and balance placed on an elevated navette-shaped platform.
As in all other fields of horology, Abraham-Louis Breguet contributed significantly to the development of marine chronometers, a category on which he had begun working already around 1796. In 1814 he became a member of the Board of Longitude in Paris, a body set up by the National Convention in 1795 with the aim of perfecting the various fields of astronomy and their application in geography, navigation and physics. The prestigious Board comprised some twenty members, including mathematicians, astronomers, former navigators and associated craftsmen - Breguet being the sole representative of the clockmaking profession, crucial for physicists and navigators. The second recognition followed on 27 October 1815 when he was bestowed "Horloger de la Marine", Horloger to the Royal Navy, by the King, a nomination confirming highest scientific ability and unquestionably the most prestigious title a clockmaker could aspire to. He consequently became the accredited (however not exclusive) supplier to the navy and by 1818, the production of marine chronometers was well under way. Supply of these pieces was not limited to the French Navy and Breguet sold his chronometers also to retailers in the principal French ports, such as Ducom in Bordeaux, and to private individuals, including naval officers, scientists and foreign clients, notably the London Board of Longitude. Taking is position as Horloger de la Marine extremely seriously, he published in 1817 the 23-page booklet "Instructions on the Use of Marine Watches made by M. Breguet", an informative manual full of advice on the use of marine timepieces and the verification of their accuracy (see Breguet - Watchmakers since 1766 by Emmanuel Breguet, pp. 244 - 246).
The high prices paid by the French Marine resulted in luxurious chronometers of finest finishing in sumptuous mahogany boxes with hand-finished brass fittings, beautifully combining esthetical appeal and finest precision timekeeping.