Important Collectors' Wristwatches, P...

Geneva, Hotel Noga Hilton, Oct 16, 2005

LOT 51

"Chronos-Breguet" Breguet, Etablissement Mixte, circa 1820. Very fine and rare 18K gold eight-day going ?wandering hour? pocket watch.

CHF 22,000 - 27,000

EUR 13,000 - 18,000 / USD 16,000 - 22,000

Sold: CHF 25,300

C. Four-body, ?Empire?, engine-turned back cover, fluted band, gilt spring-loaded cuvette. D. White enamel segment with minute divisions and Arabic numerals set in the top of a gold mask engraved with the figure of Chronos, wandering Arabic blued-steel hour numerals passing through aperture, indicating the correct minute. M. 54.4 mm, gilt brass, unusual bridge calibre, 6 jewels, free-standing barrel, cylinder escapement, plain three-arm gold balance, flat balance spring, balance and escape wheel jewelled, free-standing barrel, third and fourth wheels in skeletonised steel bridge. Case stamped inside back cover 'PHPI, 6237' and with later French gold marks, cuvette signed 'Etablissement mixte, Breguet', the dial engraved Breguet et Fils. Diam. 61 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3-10

Good

Patinated
Movement: 3-5-6*

Good

Poor

Slightly oxidized

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 2

Very good

Notes

This watch was sold by Antiquorum, Geneva, on 31st March 2001, The Sandberg Watch Collection, Lot 129. Published in the Sandberg book, page 196-197. The Etablissement Mixte series consisted of watches made outside Breguet?s shop under his supervision. The escapements, he claimed, were made in his shop. It was previously thought that this register was lost or never existed, but in fact Etablissement Mixte watches have their own register, which is in the company?s possession. It begins with No. 1 in 1806 and continues to No. 2421 in 1832. All kinds of watches and clocks are recorded, some quite unusual. Since the Etablissement Mixte register is not numbered it is very difficult (but not impossible) to locate it in the book. Watches with a wandering hour dial first appeared in the 17th century. In the 1920's and 1930's, Breguet sold many wandering hour watches with a system patented in about 1925 by Robert Cart. More recently, the idea has enjoyed a revival, being introduced into the wristwatch. Three similar watches have been sold by Antiquorum in Geneva: October 18, 1992, Lot 238; April 21, 1996, Lot 169; April 13, 1997, Lot 593. The present lot was previously sold by Antiquorum Geneva, on April 1, 2001, lot 129.