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Lot Essay
With fitted silver winding key in the shape of a gun with working trigger and engraved stock.
According to the Archives of Montres Breguet, the present watch, a "montre simple garde-temps de poche fusée", silver case with gold hinges no. 1075 by Joly, sold to the Comte de Gourieff on 17 June 1841 for the amount of 1,400 Francs.
The present watch is a fine example of one of Breguet's pocket chronometer entered in the firms' books as "garde temps", intended purely as precision timekeepers. Meant to be convenient means of carrying the precise time from one place to another, on board of a ship for example, they featured a chronometer escapement but no other complication, however maintained the elegant dial design and highest quality cases.
Breguet started the manufacture of such watches in 17981 at a very early stage in his career, earlier examples made with twin barrels, the escapements based on Arnold's and Berthoud's designs. The present watch is from the later series produced after Breguet's appointment as "Horloger de la Marine", fitted with a more robust movement including one single barrel and chain fusée and the spring detent escapement devised by the celebrated English watchmaker Thomas Earnshaw.
Only few examples of these early deck watches have survived, the rarity of the present example enhanced by its very good, original overall condition.
According to the Archives of Montres Breguet, the present watch, a "montre simple garde-temps de poche fusée", silver case with gold hinges no. 1075 by Joly, sold to the Comte de Gourieff on 17 June 1841 for the amount of 1,400 Francs.
The present watch is a fine example of one of Breguet's pocket chronometer entered in the firms' books as "garde temps", intended purely as precision timekeepers. Meant to be convenient means of carrying the precise time from one place to another, on board of a ship for example, they featured a chronometer escapement but no other complication, however maintained the elegant dial design and highest quality cases.
Breguet started the manufacture of such watches in 17981 at a very early stage in his career, earlier examples made with twin barrels, the escapements based on Arnold's and Berthoud's designs. The present watch is from the later series produced after Breguet's appointment as "Horloger de la Marine", fitted with a more robust movement including one single barrel and chain fusée and the spring detent escapement devised by the celebrated English watchmaker Thomas Earnshaw.
Only few examples of these early deck watches have survived, the rarity of the present example enhanced by its very good, original overall condition.