VARIOUS PROPERTIES

Breguet. An extremely fine and rare silver openface four train hour and quarter striking duplex clockwatch with alarm

SIGNED BREGUET, NO. 5117, SOLD ON 21 FEBRUARY 1833 TO LORD SEYMOUR

細節

Breguet. An extremely fine and rare silver openface four train hour and quarter striking duplex clockwatch with alarm
Signed Breguet, No. 5117, sold on 21 February 1833 to Lord Seymour
With full plate gilt-finished four train movement, duplex escapement, bimetallic compensation balance with gold poising screws, ruby endstone, quarter repeating and en passant hour, half hour and quarter striking onto a gong, alarm vibrating brass hammer on the backplate striking onto a gong in the silver cuvette, the silver cuvette with pierced foliage decorated band, movement, repeating, striking and alarm trains keywound through the cuvette, the white enamel dial with Roman numerals, blued steel Breguet hands, central brass alarm hand, in large and heavy engine-turned case with pink gold hinges, quarter repeating activated by depressing a button in the ball-form pendant, sonnerie/silence lever in the band to three o'clock, case by Joly and numbered B 5117 and 1353, cuvette and movement signed and numbered, dial signed Breguet et Fils
85 mm. diam.

拍品專文

Accompanied by the original silver ratchet key and short length of silver chain, original fitted presentation box numbered 5117 with supporting bracket.

Coach watches by Breguet are extremely rare and only very few examples have appeared in public to date. The rarity of the present watch is further enhanced by its complicated four train movement featuring a striking, repeating and alarm mechanism as well as its original fitted protective outer case.

Coach watches have been in use since the early 18th century. These watches required a large and robust case and movement, able to withstand the exertions caused by travels on a horse back or in a coach.

The present watch was sold on 21 February 1833 for the amount of 3,000 Francs to Lord Seymour which was the courtesy title of Edward Adolphus Seymour, 12th Duke of Somerset. He was born on 20 December 1804 and the son of Edward Adolphus St. Maur, 11th Duke of Somerset and Lady Charlotte Hamilton.

Lord Seymour was Lord Lieutenant of Devon and a trustee of the British Museum. He married Jane Georgiana Sheridan, daughter of Thomas Sheridan, on 10 June 1830. He died on 28 December 1885 at age 81.