Important Watches: Part I

Important Watches: Part I

View full screen - View 1 of Lot 76. Classique, Ref. 1907BA12 Yellow gold hunting cased minute repeating watch with grande and petite sonnerie, tourbillon and regulator dial  Circa 2010 | 寶璣 1907BA12型號「Classique」黃金三問懷錶備陀飛輪及三針一線錶盤,年份約2010.

Breguet

Classique, Ref. 1907BA12 Yellow gold hunting cased minute repeating watch with grande and petite sonnerie, tourbillon and regulator dial Circa 2010 | 寶璣 1907BA12型號「Classique」黃金三問懷錶備陀飛輪及三針一線錶盤,年份約2010

Auction Closed

May 11, 01:00 PM GMT

Estimate

150,000 - 300,000 CHF

Lot Details

Description

Breguet

Classique, Ref. 1907BA12

Yellow gold hunting cased minute repeating watch with grande and petite sonnerie, tourbillon and regulator dial

Circa 2010

寶璣 1907BA12型號「Classique」黃金三問懷錶備陀飛輪及三針一線錶盤,年份約2010


Dial: silvered

Calibre: manual winding, 43 jewels

Movement number: 0'602

Case: 18k yellow gold, hinged cover and back

Case number: 4'086 T

Dimensions: 58 mm

Signed: case, dial and movement

Box: yes

Papers: yes

Accessories: Breguet Certificate of Origin, presentation case and associated 18k yellow gold chain

The estimates for this lot should read CHF 150,000 - CHF 300,000 and not as initially stated in the online catalogue.

With so much focus on buying wristwatches today it is understandable that brands too focus on producing and selling them. It is a rarity, and may surprise some, to see a brand, especially one as significant and prestigious as the Maison Breguet, to offer a highly complicated pocket watch to the market by special request only, and carrying a price tag of one million dollars.


That being said of course Breguets history is a ludicrously rich one and , arguably, the most important pieces in their repertoire are pocket watches. The Classique 1907 then is a hark back to Abraham Louis Breguet himself, a means of keeping the very heart and soul of Breguet alive and a task which they certainly achieve in full force. 


The dial is quintessential Breguet, wonderfully yet simply engine turned, with brushed chapter rings. The time is indicated in regulator format, that being the minutes are indicated separately, around outer the most track, from the hours which are displayed on a subsidiary dial with roman numerals. Through the dial also is a small glimpse of the complexity of this piece. At 5 o'clock an aperture reveals a one minute tourbillon carriage and between seven and nine we see windows displaying two polished hammers which chime the hours, quarter hours and minutes, on demand, and through grand and petite sonnerie striking.


The hunting case too has Breguet’s hallmark style, both the front and back covers are engine turned with a coin edged band housing the hand setting, repeating slide and sonnerie settings. Opening the case back reveals a sapphire crystal display showcasing the superbly finished and fascinatingly complex movement. Comprised of 525 individual pieces and 43 jewels the keyless winding movement will run for 56 hours on a full barrel. 


Of course as a pocket watch it is, potentially, less useful than a wristwatch - though it is exactly this that makes the Classique 1908 truly marvellous. It is a demonstration of skill and artistry for the sake of skill and artistry. It is a tribute to the brand's illustrious heritage and a superb opportunity for a collector to obtain a rare and complex piece that embodies the vision of Abraham Louis Breguet and all that he achieved.