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Lot Essay
The present ‘montre perpétuelle à répétition’, carefully preserved in a private watch collection for decades, can be regarded as being amongst the finest of Breguet’s surviving early self-winding ‘perpetuélles’. Furthermore, it is one of the very few perpetuélles to survive with its original enamel dial – an exceptional rarity. Christie’s is honoured to offer to connoisseurs and collectors of world-class works of art alike, the opportunity to obtain a superlative example of a great horological masterpiece by the legendary Abraham-Louis Breguet. A significant Breguet masterpiece, the present watch would have been seen as a wonder of the age, to impress and inspire awe in all who had the good fortune to observe it. Furthermore, this perpetuélle was owned by George, 2nd Earl Spencer, head of one of England’s greatest aristocratic families and a direct ancestor of Diana, Princess of Wales.
According to the Archives of Montres Breguet, watch no. 47 6/87 is mentioned in the after-sales service or ‘rhabillages’ ledgers. "On 1 Nivose An XI (22 Decembere 1802), belonging to Lord Spencer, gold repeating “Perpétuelle” watch BREGUET 47 6/87, important repair (arbre de barillet, roue de remontoir, pont de barillet, grand ressort de masse, une partie des vis, une roue à rochet etc…)". Service completed at the beginning of Messidor (around June 20, 1803); watch brought back to London by Miss Recordon, for Mr. Recordon, Breguet’s agent in London at the time.
This watch, dating from the 1790s, belongs to a small and rarefied group of Breguet’s legendary early self-winding or ‘perpétuelle’ watches. Arguably, it was Breguet’s perfection of the self-winding watch that brought attention to his genius among a wider public. In addition to being from the self-winding‘perpétuelle series, a great rarity in itself, Breguet no. 47 6/87 has the extra complication of minute repeating – an incredible feat of watchmaking skill that, combined with self-winding, means that this watch incorporates two of the most important and advanced horological refinements of the period. Minute repeating watches by Breguet are exceedingly prestigious, indeed, almost all Breguet minute repeaters apart from a very few examples are perpétuelles. After 1810 virtually all other Breguet repeating watches are either quarter or half-quarter repeating. This minute repeating system is particularly unusual in that it uses both à toc and a gong to transmit the sound. The purpose of this system was to allow an audible distinction between the hours and quarters and the minutes, this was before the production of gongs with different tones had been perfected. The system is mentioned by George Daniels in The Art of Breguet, 1975, p. 66, and one other example incorporating this type of minute repeating (watch no. 2246) is illustrated on page 210.
We are indebted to Mr. Emmanuel Breguet for his valuable assistance in researching this watch.
Breguet’s Perpetuelle Watches
In the words of the inimitable George Daniels “Breguet’s early work on the self-winding watch or “perpetuelle” as he called it, laid the foundations of his future success”.
It was a sure sign of great things to come and very typical of Breguet’s commercial instinct that at the very beginning of his career he seized upon the idea that a successfully working self-winding watch could bring him fame and fortune. In his treatise on horology he writes that he made in 1780 a ‘perpetuelle’ watch for the Duc d’Orléans. Indeed, he claims that by 1780 both the Duc d’Orleans and Marie Antoinette were already in possession of his perpetuelle watches. Breguet did not invent the self-winding watch himself but perfected it – something which no other watchmaker had achieved. He succeeded in this by paying particular attention to the action of the heavy platinum weight so that it responded to even the slightest movement of the watch. The platinum weight winds two mainspring barrels simultaneously, fully wound this provides about 60 hours of running time which is indicated on the left-hand sector of the present watch. The weight can be locked stationary if required so as to prevent any possible damage during vigorous activity for instance when riding a horse. Breguet brilliantly conceived the two barrel system with a ratio so that only four turns of the barrels gives sixty turns of the centre wheel - providing not only long duration but a more uniform performance. The two-barrel system also increased consistency of power and reduced friction.
Amongst Breguet’s other technical triumphs is one which played a vital role in the success of the perpetuelles - the use of the lever escapement. Even by 1786 the lever escapement was not widely known and then only in London where just a handful of examples had been made by John Leroux and Josiah Emery. This is particularly interesting because by 1787 Breguet had entered the first 31 watches in the registers and all but one had been fitted with a jeweled lever escapement. Therefore as with the self-winding “perpetuelle” mechanism, Breguet had not actually invented the lever escapement but, presumably on a visit to London, had immediately recognized its potential and produced his own version superior in every detail to the English escapements. The essential feature of the escapement is that, except during impulse, the balance oscillates quite freely. This made for vastly superior timekeeping particularly when used in combination with the compensation balance and helical steel spring with terminal curves. The movements of the perpetuelles were deliberately fixed into cases that could not be opened by the casual observer, this was to exclude dust and inquisitive fingers, Breguet declaring that cased in this way they would run for eight years without attention.
Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747-1823)
Breguet was born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, but it was in Paris that he spent most of his productive life. No aspect of watchmaking escaped his study, and his inventions were as fundamental to horology as they were varied. His career started with a series of breakthroughs: the development of the successful self-winding perpétuelle watches, the introduction of the gongs for repeating watches and the first shock-protection for balance pivots. Louis XVI and his Queen, Marie-Antoinette, were early enthusiasts of Breguet's watchmaking. Each watch from his workshops demonstrated the latest horological improvements in an original movement, mostly fitted with lever or ruby-cylinder escapements that he perfected. Breguet took refuge in Switzerland from the perils of the French Revolution. He returned to Paris overflowing with the ideas that produced the Breguet balance-spring, his first carriage clock (sold to Bonaparte), the "sympathique" clock and its dependent watch, the tact watch, and finally the tourbillon, patented in 1801. Breguet became the indispensable watchmaker to the scientific, military, financial and diplomatic elites of the age. His timepieces ruled the courts of Europe. For his most celebrated clients, Breguet designed exceptional timepieces. For Caroline Murat, queen of Naples, he conceived in 1810 the world's very first wristwatch. Honours saluted his enormous contribution to horology. Appointed to the Board of Longitude and as chronometer-maker to the navy, he entered the Academy of Sciences and received the Legion of Honour from the hands of Louis XVIII. When he died in 1823, all mourned the architect of the greatest revolution in the science and art of time-keeping.
George, 2nd Earl Spencer, KG, PC, DL, FRS,FSA (1758-1834)
Was a British Whig politician and noted collector who acceded to the earldom on the death of his father in 1783. Lord Spencer served as Home Secretary from 1806 to 1807. His godparents included King George II, and his sister Lady Georgiana Spencer married the Duke of Devonshire and became a famed Whig hostess. Lord Spencer was also High Steward of St. Albans from 1783 to 1807 and became Mayor of St Albans in 1790. He was President of the Royal Institution from 1813 to 1825 and Commissioner of the Public Records in 1831. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1780 and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London in 1785. He was appointed to the Order of the Garter in 1799. On 18 February 1793, he was appointed a deputy lieutenant of Northamptonshire. The Spencer family have always had close connections to the monarchy and in 1981, one of the 2nd Earl Spencer’s descendants, Lady Diana Spencer, married His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, now King Charles III.
According to the Archives of Montres Breguet, watch no. 47 6/87 is mentioned in the after-sales service or ‘rhabillages’ ledgers. "On 1 Nivose An XI (22 Decembere 1802), belonging to Lord Spencer, gold repeating “Perpétuelle” watch BREGUET 47 6/87, important repair (arbre de barillet, roue de remontoir, pont de barillet, grand ressort de masse, une partie des vis, une roue à rochet etc…)". Service completed at the beginning of Messidor (around June 20, 1803); watch brought back to London by Miss Recordon, for Mr. Recordon, Breguet’s agent in London at the time.
This watch, dating from the 1790s, belongs to a small and rarefied group of Breguet’s legendary early self-winding or ‘perpétuelle’ watches. Arguably, it was Breguet’s perfection of the self-winding watch that brought attention to his genius among a wider public. In addition to being from the self-winding‘perpétuelle series, a great rarity in itself, Breguet no. 47 6/87 has the extra complication of minute repeating – an incredible feat of watchmaking skill that, combined with self-winding, means that this watch incorporates two of the most important and advanced horological refinements of the period. Minute repeating watches by Breguet are exceedingly prestigious, indeed, almost all Breguet minute repeaters apart from a very few examples are perpétuelles. After 1810 virtually all other Breguet repeating watches are either quarter or half-quarter repeating. This minute repeating system is particularly unusual in that it uses both à toc and a gong to transmit the sound. The purpose of this system was to allow an audible distinction between the hours and quarters and the minutes, this was before the production of gongs with different tones had been perfected. The system is mentioned by George Daniels in The Art of Breguet, 1975, p. 66, and one other example incorporating this type of minute repeating (watch no. 2246) is illustrated on page 210.
We are indebted to Mr. Emmanuel Breguet for his valuable assistance in researching this watch.
Breguet’s Perpetuelle Watches
In the words of the inimitable George Daniels “Breguet’s early work on the self-winding watch or “perpetuelle” as he called it, laid the foundations of his future success”.
It was a sure sign of great things to come and very typical of Breguet’s commercial instinct that at the very beginning of his career he seized upon the idea that a successfully working self-winding watch could bring him fame and fortune. In his treatise on horology he writes that he made in 1780 a ‘perpetuelle’ watch for the Duc d’Orléans. Indeed, he claims that by 1780 both the Duc d’Orleans and Marie Antoinette were already in possession of his perpetuelle watches. Breguet did not invent the self-winding watch himself but perfected it – something which no other watchmaker had achieved. He succeeded in this by paying particular attention to the action of the heavy platinum weight so that it responded to even the slightest movement of the watch. The platinum weight winds two mainspring barrels simultaneously, fully wound this provides about 60 hours of running time which is indicated on the left-hand sector of the present watch. The weight can be locked stationary if required so as to prevent any possible damage during vigorous activity for instance when riding a horse. Breguet brilliantly conceived the two barrel system with a ratio so that only four turns of the barrels gives sixty turns of the centre wheel - providing not only long duration but a more uniform performance. The two-barrel system also increased consistency of power and reduced friction.
Amongst Breguet’s other technical triumphs is one which played a vital role in the success of the perpetuelles - the use of the lever escapement. Even by 1786 the lever escapement was not widely known and then only in London where just a handful of examples had been made by John Leroux and Josiah Emery. This is particularly interesting because by 1787 Breguet had entered the first 31 watches in the registers and all but one had been fitted with a jeweled lever escapement. Therefore as with the self-winding “perpetuelle” mechanism, Breguet had not actually invented the lever escapement but, presumably on a visit to London, had immediately recognized its potential and produced his own version superior in every detail to the English escapements. The essential feature of the escapement is that, except during impulse, the balance oscillates quite freely. This made for vastly superior timekeeping particularly when used in combination with the compensation balance and helical steel spring with terminal curves. The movements of the perpetuelles were deliberately fixed into cases that could not be opened by the casual observer, this was to exclude dust and inquisitive fingers, Breguet declaring that cased in this way they would run for eight years without attention.
Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747-1823)
Breguet was born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, but it was in Paris that he spent most of his productive life. No aspect of watchmaking escaped his study, and his inventions were as fundamental to horology as they were varied. His career started with a series of breakthroughs: the development of the successful self-winding perpétuelle watches, the introduction of the gongs for repeating watches and the first shock-protection for balance pivots. Louis XVI and his Queen, Marie-Antoinette, were early enthusiasts of Breguet's watchmaking. Each watch from his workshops demonstrated the latest horological improvements in an original movement, mostly fitted with lever or ruby-cylinder escapements that he perfected. Breguet took refuge in Switzerland from the perils of the French Revolution. He returned to Paris overflowing with the ideas that produced the Breguet balance-spring, his first carriage clock (sold to Bonaparte), the "sympathique" clock and its dependent watch, the tact watch, and finally the tourbillon, patented in 1801. Breguet became the indispensable watchmaker to the scientific, military, financial and diplomatic elites of the age. His timepieces ruled the courts of Europe. For his most celebrated clients, Breguet designed exceptional timepieces. For Caroline Murat, queen of Naples, he conceived in 1810 the world's very first wristwatch. Honours saluted his enormous contribution to horology. Appointed to the Board of Longitude and as chronometer-maker to the navy, he entered the Academy of Sciences and received the Legion of Honour from the hands of Louis XVIII. When he died in 1823, all mourned the architect of the greatest revolution in the science and art of time-keeping.
George, 2nd Earl Spencer, KG, PC, DL, FRS,FSA (1758-1834)
Was a British Whig politician and noted collector who acceded to the earldom on the death of his father in 1783. Lord Spencer served as Home Secretary from 1806 to 1807. His godparents included King George II, and his sister Lady Georgiana Spencer married the Duke of Devonshire and became a famed Whig hostess. Lord Spencer was also High Steward of St. Albans from 1783 to 1807 and became Mayor of St Albans in 1790. He was President of the Royal Institution from 1813 to 1825 and Commissioner of the Public Records in 1831. He became a Fellow of the Royal Society in 1780 and a Fellow of the Society of Antiquaries of London in 1785. He was appointed to the Order of the Garter in 1799. On 18 February 1793, he was appointed a deputy lieutenant of Northamptonshire. The Spencer family have always had close connections to the monarchy and in 1981, one of the 2nd Earl Spencer’s descendants, Lady Diana Spencer, married His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales, now King Charles III.