Breguet
N° 700, vendue le 3 Ventôse An 9 (22 février 1801) Exceptionnelle et rare montre à tact « Souscription » en argent et or, présentant au dos une ouverture révélant un cadran auxiliaire des 5 minutes ainsi qu’un tableau combinant calendrier révolutionnaire/gregorien et équation du temps, calculée pour correspondre au calendrier révolutionnaire | N° 700 sold 3 Ventose An 9 (22 February 1801) Exceptionally rare silver and gold 'Souscription' montre à tact, the aperture to back displaying auxiliary 5-minute dial and Revolutionary/Gregorian calendar chart with equation of time to coincide with the Revolutionary calendar Vers 1801 | Circa 1801
Lot Closed
October 1, 01:01 PM GMT
Estimate
30,000 - 50,000 EUR
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Description
Breguet
N° 700, vendue le 3 Ventôse An 9 (22 février 1801)
Exceptionnelle et rare montre à tact « Souscription » en argent et or, présentant au dos une ouverture révélant un cadran auxiliaire des 5 minutes ainsi qu’un tableau combinant calendrier révolutionnaire/gregorien et équation du temps, calculée pour correspondre au calendrier révolutionnaire |
N° 700 sold 3 Ventose An 9 (22 February 1801)
Exceptionally rare silver and gold 'Souscription' montre à tact, the aperture to back displaying auxiliary 5-minute dial and Revolutionary/Gregorian calendar chart with equation of time to coincide with the Revolutionary calendar
Vers 1801 |
Circa 1801
Cadran: argenté
Calibre: cal. remontage à clef, rubis
Boîtier: argent 950, fond articulé
Numéro de boîtier: N°4027
Dimensions: 63 mm
Signé: boîtier, cadran et mouvement
Ecrin: non
Papiers: non
Accessoires: clés de remontage
Dial: silvered
Calibre: cal. key winding, jeweled
Case: silver 950, hinged back
Case number: N°4027
Size: 63 mm
Signed: case, dial and movement
Box: no
Papers: no
Accessories: winding keys
Poids brut 174.30 g |
Gross weight 174.30 g
This silver and gold Breguet tact pocket watch, crafted circa 1803, is a remarkable testament to both the technical mastery of Breguet and the unique historical context of early 19th-century France. Made in 950 silver and bearing both the French silver hallmark and the Paris assay mark, the watch exemplifies the precision and artistry for which Breguet is renowned.
The timepiece features a Revolutionary calendar, introduced in 1793 following the French Revolution to break with the Ancien Régime. This calendar, officially in use until 1805, divided the year into twelve months of thirty days, each organized into three décades of ten days. The months were named according to the seasons and natural cycles—Vendémiaire, Brumaire, Floréal—reflecting the rational and modern spirit of the era. Concentric rings on the dial display both the Revolutionary and Gregorian calendars, with an equation of time calculated to coincide precisely with the Republican system.
A tact function allows the time to be read discreetly by touch via an external hand, a feature enhanced here by a rare glazed window in the cover. The cover itself is adorned with the armorial bearings of the original owner’s family, engraved on a small gold escutcheon below the eccentric dial aperture. A gilt gold arrow on the back, extending over a sector-shaped glazed aperture, reveals the months, the equation of time, and a subsidiary dial subdivided into five-minute intervals. Rotating the cover clockwise (opposite the tactile reading direction) enables the wearer to sight the month and compare it with the Republican calendar, along with the equation of time for the first day of each décade.
The watch’s two-body, “forme collier” silver engine-turned case with gold rims, pendant, and bow, combined with its intricate complications, underscores Breguet’s ingenuity and his forward-thinking vision, merging technical innovation with the political and social transformation of his time.
The Breguet Archives note that the watch was originally sold 3 Ventose an 9 (22 February 1801) for Fr. 1,200 (client name unrecorded). It was re-purchased from a Monsieur Dubost in 1813, completely overhauled and re-numbered 2792 before being sold again by Breguet on 8 January 1814 to Monsieur Fortis for Fr. 680. Interestingly two other similar watches sold in March and April of 1801 (the same year as the present watch) have previously appeared at auction no. 729 sold 12 April 1801 (Antiquorum, The Art of Breguet, 1991, lot 27) and no. 728, sold 9 March 1801 (Antiquorum Geneva, 18 October 1997, lot 14).