Breguet

Among the most celebrated military wristwatches, the Breguet Type XX occupies a special place in the hearts of collectors. Conceived as a navigational instrument for military aviators, it embodies the qualities that make military-issued timepieces so desirable today: distinct design, technical innovation, and usable functionality.

In 1954, the French Ministry of Defense commissioned a flyback chronograph for military pilots and navigators. The resulting Type 20 exhibited the exceptional robustness and precision the military demanded including a minimum 35-hour power reserve, strict accuracy requirements, and, most importantly, a flyback chronograph mechanism that allowed pilots to instantly reset and restart timing sequences during flight. Production was entrusted to several manufacturers, including Dodane, Mathey-Tissot, and Breguet, whose interpretation would become the most celebrated. Distinctively, Breguet alone adopted the Roman numeral designation "Type XX."

While originally produced for military use, Breguet later offered civilian versions bearing the firm's signature on the dial. The present watch represents one of the rarest and most desirable variants of the model, distinguished by its unusual tachymeter scale. Research suggests that the current watch was sold on 16 July 1965 to Monsieur Ducharne for 538 French francs, with these tachymeter dials only supplied on special client request.

As such, the present watch was almost certainly delivered as a bespoke commission, making it a particularly rare and fascinating expression of the Type XX.