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Lot Essay
Breguet’s vintage diver’s watches or ‘montre plongeur’ are largely unknown to collectors even today, having never appeared in any official literature and only researched by dedicated collectors in recent years.
The present model is highly attractive with its unusually elegant yet minimalist design, the slender black bakelite bezel featuring very subtle five minute divisions, the dial bearing only the signature ‘Breguet’ and featuring oversized luminous hour markers and luminous hands. The comparatively thin screw back case is probably water-resistant to at least 100 metres, which was the usual standard at the time of its production. It is fitted with a robust automatic movement calibre 1581 by A. Schild, one of the first ébauche makers founded in Grenchen, Switzerland, in 1896. The firm specialized in the production of high quality ébauches with all parts being interchangeable for which it won a gold medal at the Swiss National Exhibition in Berne in 1914. A. Schild supplied ébauches to several renowned watch manufacturers in Switzerland.
It is thought that Breguet, in common with most of their wristwatches made in the mid-20th century, made these diver’s watches as a commission for a particular commercial or private purpose.
The present model is highly attractive with its unusually elegant yet minimalist design, the slender black bakelite bezel featuring very subtle five minute divisions, the dial bearing only the signature ‘Breguet’ and featuring oversized luminous hour markers and luminous hands. The comparatively thin screw back case is probably water-resistant to at least 100 metres, which was the usual standard at the time of its production. It is fitted with a robust automatic movement calibre 1581 by A. Schild, one of the first ébauche makers founded in Grenchen, Switzerland, in 1896. The firm specialized in the production of high quality ébauches with all parts being interchangeable for which it won a gold medal at the Swiss National Exhibition in Berne in 1914. A. Schild supplied ébauches to several renowned watch manufacturers in Switzerland.
It is thought that Breguet, in common with most of their wristwatches made in the mid-20th century, made these diver’s watches as a commission for a particular commercial or private purpose.