Important Watches, Wristwatches and C...

Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, Oct 18, 1997

LOT 38

Breguet & Fils, Horlogers de la Marine Royale, No. 3787, sold to Mr. le Comte de Schouvaloff on 27 December 1823, for 2520 Francs. Very fine silver Garde Temps with double barrels.

CHF 100,000 - 120,000

Sold: CHF 108,000

C. Three body, polished by Joly No. 377. Gilt brass detachable cuvette. D. Frosted silver, the small eccentric hour ring with Roman numerals, outer minute ring intersecting with subsidiary seconds circle. Blued steel "spade and lance " hands. M. 26-, gilt brass, bar calibre with individually wound twin barrels, spring detent escapement with gold escape wheel, two-arm bimetallic compensation balance with poising and timing screws, pare-chute suspension on the top pivot, blued steel helical balance spring with terminal curves. Signed on the cuvette. Accompanied by Breguet certificate No. 2732. Diam. 66 mm.


LOADING IMAGES
Click to full view
Image
Grading System
Case: 4

Fair
Movement: 1

As new
Dial: 2-51

Very good

Partially reprinted

Notes

Provenance: The property of an important American family since the 1920 ' s. Formerly in the Dollfus collection. Literature: Illustrate and described by George Daniels in The Art of Breguet, p. 260, fig. 302 a-b. Note: In the explanatory pamphlet published shortly before his death in 1823, Breguet explains that this type of precision Garde- Temps was introduced to replace the old style pendules cosnptents, which required to be stopped before they could be moved. Designed to be used on board a ship or for scientific observation, these watches are constructed on the same principle as the large 60 hour marine chronometers, with double barrels detent escapement and pave-chime suspension on both pivots. Both impressive and very elegant, this type of pocket chronometer, by its conception and design of the dial and movement, differs from all other time-keepers produced, at any time, by other makers in any country. Its importance for chronometers can be compared with that of the souscriptions for pocket watches. Paul Andrejevitsch, Count Schouvaloff (1775?-1823) General and aide de camp to the Tsar Alexander I. Born circa 1775, he enlisted in the army at a young age, serving under General Souvaroff, and receiving the Cross of St. George after the succesful, but bloody seizure of Prague in 1794. In 1799 he took part in the Italian campaign, again under the command of Souvaroff, fighting in the victorious battles at Cassino and Novi, before being forced to flee from Switzerland following the virtual destruction of the Russian army near Zurich by Massena. Schouvaloff was promoted to the rank of General at the age of only 25. After the unsuccessful campaign against the French in 1807, which left the Russian forces blocked in Poland, he went on to become the first to break through into Swedish territory crossing the Torres, and overcoming a string of obstacles before succeeding in the capture of Schelefta. His reward was promotion to the rank of Lieutenantgeneral, and a commission from the Tsar to negotiate the armistice at Pleiwitz in 1813.