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Lot Essay
Accompanied by Breguet Certificat No. 4058 confirming the sale of the present watch to Mr. Emile Nobel in 1930 for the amount of 4,700 Fr.
The present single button chronograph is truly one of Breguet's most spectacular wristwatches ever made. Until the introduction of the better known and today again revived Type XX, originally mostly reserved for the French forces, chronograph wristwatches by Breguet made before World War II are considered much rarer than their alikes from all the others prestigious manufacturer, such as Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe or Vacheron Constantin. Even Cartier, known to have finished only very small quantities of chronograph wristwatches at that time, has probably exceeded Breguet's production.
Whereas the few examples of pre-war chronograph wristwatches by Breguet know to date are commonly fitted with the better known 2 push-button calibres, the present watch is one of only two known single button chronographs by this legendary company. Further noteworthy is the unusually large diameter of the present watch, an impressive 38 mm., whereas most of the other Breguet chronographs are either 33 or 34 mm. wide.
The combination of the present watch's rarity, the original and unspoilt condition and very interesting provenance makes it one of the most attractive wristwatch chronographs for a discerning collector.
Emile Nobel (1885-1932) was the son of Ludwig Nobel, the brother of Alfred Nobel (1833-1896), founder of the Nobel Foundation, established to award the prestigious Nobel Prize. After having successfully developed the oil industry for the family enterprise in Russia, Emile Nobel moved to Paris in 1919 as a wealthy man.
The present single button chronograph is truly one of Breguet's most spectacular wristwatches ever made. Until the introduction of the better known and today again revived Type XX, originally mostly reserved for the French forces, chronograph wristwatches by Breguet made before World War II are considered much rarer than their alikes from all the others prestigious manufacturer, such as Audemars Piguet, Patek Philippe or Vacheron Constantin. Even Cartier, known to have finished only very small quantities of chronograph wristwatches at that time, has probably exceeded Breguet's production.
Whereas the few examples of pre-war chronograph wristwatches by Breguet know to date are commonly fitted with the better known 2 push-button calibres, the present watch is one of only two known single button chronographs by this legendary company. Further noteworthy is the unusually large diameter of the present watch, an impressive 38 mm., whereas most of the other Breguet chronographs are either 33 or 34 mm. wide.
The combination of the present watch's rarity, the original and unspoilt condition and very interesting provenance makes it one of the most attractive wristwatch chronographs for a discerning collector.
Emile Nobel (1885-1932) was the son of Ludwig Nobel, the brother of Alfred Nobel (1833-1896), founder of the Nobel Foundation, established to award the prestigious Nobel Prize. After having successfully developed the oil industry for the family enterprise in Russia, Emile Nobel moved to Paris in 1919 as a wealthy man.