A lady’s platinum, 18ct Osmior gold, diamond, emerald and enamel-set cocktail watch made for the King of Egypt
Breguet No. 774 | Sold to His Majesty King Fuad I of Egypt on 10 December 1925 for Fr. 9,588
Auction Closed
November 9, 08:49 PM GMT
Estimate
20,000 - 40,000 CHF
Lot Details
Description
5’’’ x 9’’’ baguette rhodium finished movement, lever escapement, bi-metallic compensation balance, blued steel hairspring with overcoil, signed and numbered Breguet 774
silvered dial, black Arabic numerals, outer chemin-de-fer minute ring, blued steel Breguet hands, signed and numbered Breguet 774, underside of dial stamped 774
platinum upper case, set to the top with diamonds and two emeralds at 3 and 9, green flinqué enamel in the form of King Fuad’s cypher, case sides engraved with leaves, fixed bar lugs, snap-on 18ct Osmior gold case back, inside case back hand stamped 774 and with Breguet’s maker’s mark B beneath a spring in lozenge cartouche, French eagle’s head assay mark
Measurements
length excluding lugs 25mm
width 13.5mm
depth including crystal 6mm
weight including strap 16.8g
Accompaniments
with a Breguet 250th anniversary certificate
The Breguet archives note that this watch was part of a small series of 6 identical wristwatches.
King Fuad I of Egypt (1868–1936)
Born on 26 March 1868 in Cairo, Fuad bin Ismail was the son of Khedive Ismail Pasha. Educated at the Royal Military Academy in Turin, he initially pursued a military career in Italy before returning to Egypt, where he held various administrative and diplomatic posts. Following the death of his brother, Sultan Hussein Kamel, in 1917, he became Sultan of Egypt under British protectorate rule.
In 1922, following Britain’s unilateral declaration ending the protectorate, Fuad adopted the title King of Egypt, becoming the country’s first modern monarch to bear that designation. His reign was characterised by delicate negotiations with Britain over the extent of Egypt’s sovereignty, as well as by the drafting of the 1923 Constitution, which sought to balance royal authority with a parliamentary system.
Fuad was noted for his cosmopolitan outlook and patronage of education and the arts. He served as the first rector of the Egyptian University (later Cairo University), lending his prestige and support to its establishment, and fostered cultural ties between Egypt and Europe. He married twice, and in his second marriage to Nazli Sabri the pair had four daughters and one son, Farouk, who succeeded him in 1936.