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Lot Essay
According to the Archives of Montres Breguet, the present watch was sold on 2 May 1957 to the Centre d’Essais en Vol (CEV), Brétigny, France, for the sum of 28,500 French Francs.
In the 1950s and 1960s several manufacturers supplied chronograph wristwatches to the French armed forces, originally designated "Type 20". One of the requirements of the French Defence Ministry was the "retour en vol" or "flyback" function, allowing to instantly stop, reset and restart the chronograph function with a single press of the lower button. The other basic mechanical specifications for the Type 20 included an accuracy to within 8 seconds per day, a power reserve of at least 35 hours and the aptitude to handle the start-stop-reset operation 300 times without any problems.
Breguet's Type 20 is the most renowned and most desirable of these French military chronographs. It was produced in small quantities until it obtained the official approval of the French services in 1950. As of 1954, the French government commissioned Breguet with the supply of the Type 20 to the Air Force, the Naval Aviation Forces and to the CEV, such as the present watch.
We are indebted to Mr. Emmanuel Breguet for his valuable assistance in researching the present watch.
In the 1950s and 1960s several manufacturers supplied chronograph wristwatches to the French armed forces, originally designated "Type 20". One of the requirements of the French Defence Ministry was the "retour en vol" or "flyback" function, allowing to instantly stop, reset and restart the chronograph function with a single press of the lower button. The other basic mechanical specifications for the Type 20 included an accuracy to within 8 seconds per day, a power reserve of at least 35 hours and the aptitude to handle the start-stop-reset operation 300 times without any problems.
Breguet's Type 20 is the most renowned and most desirable of these French military chronographs. It was produced in small quantities until it obtained the official approval of the French services in 1950. As of 1954, the French government commissioned Breguet with the supply of the Type 20 to the Air Force, the Naval Aviation Forces and to the CEV, such as the present watch.
We are indebted to Mr. Emmanuel Breguet for his valuable assistance in researching the present watch.