A stainless steel flyback chronograph wristwatch with tropical dial and register
Breguet No. 1920, Type XX | Made in 1955
Auction Closed
November 9, 08:49 PM GMT
Estimate
30,000 - 60,000 CHF
Lot Details
Description
14’’’ Valjoux manual winding calibre 222, lever escapement, 17 jewels, mono-metallic compensation balance, chronograph bridge work visible to the backplate
tropicalised matt black dial, luminescent Arabic numerals and hands, outer white track calibrated for minutes/chronograph seconds, subsidiary seconds, oversized 30-minute register with luminescent three-minute markers, smaller subsidiary seconds, cursive Breguet signature
stainless steel case, rotating bezel with black incised Arabic hour indexes and pearled half-hour divisions, two chronograph pushers to the band, down-turned lugs with chamfered edges, screw-down case back, numbered 1920
Measurements
diameter 38.5mm
Accompaniments
with a Breguet 250th anniversary certificate
A rare and early example of the Type XX, this watch features a tropicalised dial that has acquired a rich patina with a warm hue, enhanced by the luminescent numerals and hands, which have themselves aged to a deep, harmonious tone. The result is a watch of singular character, its distinctive ageing greatly enhancing its appeal to collectors.
Also notable are the 3, 6 and 9 minute divisions within the totaliser which are each represented by a bold luminescent baton. This design reflected the practical needs of aerial navigation, drawing on the “three-minute rule”: at 60 knots an aircraft covers one nautical mile per minute, making it simple to calculate distance in three-minute intervals at higher speeds. The 15-minute counter therefore allowed navigators to work in these multiples with ease, while the Type XX’s flyback function enabled instant reset and restart at each checkpoint — features that demonstrate the model’s purpose as a genuine pilot’s instrument, tailored to the demands of mid-20th-century military aviation.