A rare and large stainless steel cushion-form flyback yachting chronograph wristwatch with registers and bracelet
Breguet No. 941 ‘Regatta’ | Sold to Monsieur Martin on 12 March 1976 for Fr. 1,950
Auction Closed
November 9, 08:49 PM GMT
Estimate
35,000 - 70,000 CHF
Lot Details
Description
13’’’ Valjoux calibre 725 manually wound movement, lever escapement, 17 jewels, mono-metallic balance, Incabloc shock absorber, chronograph work visible to the backplate
black-blue satin finished dial signed Breguet, bold luminescent baton hour indexes, three recessed subsidiary dials with chamfered chapters for constant seconds, 30-minute and 12-registers, the minute totaliser with red/white/blue five-minute sectors, luminescent white syringe hands, white central chronograph seconds with luminescent tip, rotating black rehault with white minute indexes and luminescent Arabic 10-minute and baton 5-minute markers
stainless steel two-piece cushion-form case, upper case with satin finished bezel and chamfered polished edges, two chronograph pushers, two crowns for winding/handset and rotation of inner bezel, screw-down back, exterior numbered 941
stainless steel satin finished bracelet, flat tapered links, locking clasp
Measurements
width 44mm
Accompaniments
with a Breguet 250th anniversary certificate
A rare bracelet watch, the Breguet Archives record that this model was produced in less than 20 examples.
The minute totaliser of this chronograph is specially graduated for yacht-racing, its first fifteen minutes divided into three coloured sectors - red, white, and light blue - each corresponding to a five-minute interval. These markings correspond to the pre-start phase of a regatta, which is traditionally governed by a series of timed signals at five-minute intervals leading up to the start of the race. By displaying these segments in contrasting colours, the dial allows the helmsman to follow the countdown sequence at a glance, ensuring precise synchronisation with the starting gun.
At the edge of the dial, a rotating rehaut operated by the crown at 9 o’clock provides an additional means of measuring elapsed time. When the triangular marker on the rehaut is aligned with the minute hand, the wearer can read the elapsed minutes directly from the graduated scale as time advances, offering a secondary timing function independent of the chronograph. This practical feature allows for quick, uncomplicated measurement of short intervals while, if desired, permitting the chronograph to continue running separately.
The special flyback Valjoux calibre 725 was also used by Breguet contemporaneously in some Type XX models. In the present regatta chronograph, the flyback function was particularly advantageous, allowing the wearer to reset and restart the chronograph instantly at the moment of the race start, following the pre-start countdown phase.
The bracelet of the present lot was made by Chatelain. While it is not signed Breguet, several pieces from that period are equipped with such bracelet, suggesting Chatelain was a supplier at the time. On the present lot, it perfectly complements the robust, water-resistant type construction of the case - a design conceived for reliability in the rigours of regatta use.