BREGUET - Lot 411
BREGUET "Garde-Temps Made in 1796 and "lost on August 30, 1809". 800 silver "garde-temps" watch with regulator-type dial Case: round on hinge, gilt brass bowl, signed and numbered "BreguetNo. 143", silver caseback numbered "484", maker's hallmarks Dial: Regulator-type white enamel with sub-dial indication of hours at 6 o'clock and seconds at 12 o'clock, Breguet-style Arabic numerals and hands, a central minute hand on a railroad minute track, signed and numbered 18. Movement: mechanical with key winding, lateral anchor escapement, bridge and balance-spring subsequently transformed, the simple two-arm balance-spring replacing the original ones, which in known examples were equipped with a helical-shaped balance-spring, the balance-spring itself bimetallic and cut, inspired by those used by English watchmaker John Arnold. Diameter: 59 mm Gross weight:137.1 g. We would like to thank Emmanuel Breguet and the Breguet archives for providing us with the necessary information on this watch, which is accompanied by a letter from Breguet, signed by Mr. Brown and dated Paris, June 14, 1968, in which he explains that the watch appears in the sales books but was lost on August 30, 1809. Timepieces" are precision watches, instruments that measure time with great accuracy. Historically, the term was used to designate the most technically advanced and experimental watches, such as our example. This one stands out for its singular history: created in 1796, it disappeared from the archives in 1809 only to reappear today, a veritable forgotten horological treasure. If we refer to the work of Emmanuel Breguet, Breguet Horloger since 1775, the definition of timepiece is as follows: A term used by Breguet to designate high-precision watches, often fitted with an anchor escapement. A true label of quality, the term "garde-temps" could be applied to laboratory pieces as well as to so-called "civilian" timepieces made on "garde-temps" principles. Our example is remarkable for being one of the earliest known, with a manufacture date of 1796 according to the archives. After being lost since it was last mentioned on August 30, 1809, it has now been rediscovered. It testifies to the genius of Abraham-Louis Breguet, now considered the father of modern watchmaking thanks to his inventions and, in particular, his exceptional work on precision watches, directly inspired by the first chronometers designed for the navy, following the example of his English counterpart John Arnold. The timepiece closest to ours was originally manufactured under No. 144. Sold to Monsieur deVindé on August 7, 1806, in its original silver case like ours, for the sum of 960 francs, it was subsequently purchased by Breguet on June 10, 1818, undergoing subsequent modifications before being sold with a gold case to the famous scientist Alexander Von Humboldt. This similar watch is illustrated and described in George Daniels, The Art of Breguet, p. 245, fig. 279 a-c. It was one of the first timepieces made by Breguet. These precise yet simple watches were of great interest to the great scientists of the time, such as Alexander Von Humboldt, who, according to experts, bought several examples of this type of timepiece. At the turn of the 19th century, Abraham-Louis Breguet maintained close relations with the greatest scientists of his time, illustrating the convergence between watchmaking and the exact sciences. The watch was presented to Alexander Von Humboldt at a salon held by Princess Salm Dyck around 1806, testifying to Breguet's presence in these circles to promote his art. Alexander Von Humboldt, the Prussian naturalist and explorer, was one of Breguet's most prestigious customers. Their relationship went far beyond a simple business transaction. Humboldt particularly appreciated the precision of Breguet instruments for his scientific expeditions, notably on his famous voyage to South America between 1799 and 1804. Our example perfectly illustrates the scientific importance of Breguet "timepieces" as research instruments.
