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An extra slim, very fine and rare 18ct gold open-faced half-quarter-repeating demi-chronometer lever watch with date and jumping hour hand 20’’’ gilded movement, lever escapement, bi-metallic compensation balance with three blued steel arms and pink gold and large platinum screws, blued steel balance spring with overcoil, parachute suspension, polished steel regulating index with extension arm for dial aperture, repeating train with partially visible blued steel spring, polished steel hammer striking smaller intermediate hammer to repeat the hours and half-quarters on a single coiled gong silver dial, centre with engine-turned damier pattern, outer edge guilloché clou de Paris, twin satin finished chapter rings with black Roman numerals and pearled minutes, gold Breguet hands, the minute hand with open square to base for adjustment, angled cartouche signed Breguet at VIII, matching cartouche at IIII with aperture for regulation, curved aperture beneath VI for date with corresponding indicator 18ct gold Tavernier case engine-turned à grains d’orge, repeating slide to band between X and XI, bayonet back with off-set aperture turning to reveal female winding square, case back interior numbered B 3447, Paris assay bull to left in irregular hexagonal cartouche (third standard gold 750/1000, 1819-1838) maker’s mark MAB beneath a triangle in lozenge-shaped cartouche for Tavernier workshop, pendant with Paris assay head of Sardanapalus (1819-1838) Measurements diameter 49mm depth 8.5mm weight 81.9g Accompaniments with a Breguet 250th anniversary certificate 1822 M. Schickler. 1825 Duc de Villahermosa. --- 1959 George Brown at Breguet. Current Private Collection purchased from the above on 24 October 1959. Breguet, Emmanuel, Breguet Watchmakers since 1775, Revised and Expanded Edition, Swan Éditeur, 2016, pp. 286-287, fig. 335. Such is the exceptional fineness and slimness of this watch that the certificate originally supplied with it offered reassurance to the purchaser that “despite its extreme slimness, it is as reliable as the thickest garde-temps.”1 An almost identical watch to the present example appears in Breguet’s first illustrated catalogue, issued around 1822. A copy of the original drawing is reproduced here (Salomons reproduces the brochure in full in his 1921 book); although a few small differences may be observed, these are likely attributable to artistic licence, and the watch depicted may in fact be this very piece, no. 3447. The accompanying Breguet cataloguing text, reproduced below in French, emphasises the quality of the work and places particular stress on its remarkable thinness. It remarks that, in reality, the watch appears even slimmer than suggested by the drawing. ‘Les répétitions très plates, demi-chronomètres, échappement libre, balancier compensateur, secondes et quantième, n° 4, a et b. Elles paraissent beaucoup plus plates que dans le dessin. Une coulisse sur le collier remplace le poussoir de répétition. Quantième avec aiguille fixe. Avance et retard sur le cadran, dont la lunette s’ouvre; mais la boîte ne s’ouvre point pour remonter : le fond tourne, sur lui-même pour découvrir le carré de remontoir, comme pour le refermer. L’aiguille des heures saute d’heure en heure cadran d’argent excentrique et boîte d’or guillochés.’ [Very flat repeating watches, half-chronometers, with detached escapement, compensating balance, seconds and calendar, no. 4, a and b. They appear much thinner in reality than in the drawing. A slide on the band replaces the usual repeater pusher. Calendar with fixed hand. Fast/slow regulator shown on the dial, whose bezel opens; but the case itself does not open for winding: instead, the back rotates on itself to reveal the winding square, and turns back again to close. The hour hand jumps forward precisely hour by hour. Silver eccentric dial and gold engine-turned case.] Extract from the Breguet Catalogue circa 1822. José Antonio Azlor de Aragón y Pignatelli, Duc de Villahermosa (1785-1852) The Breguet Archives record that this watch was purchased by the Duc de Villahermosa on 30 July 1825, having previously been bought back by the firm from the original owner, M. Schickler. At that date the Duke was serving as Spain’s ambassador in Paris, where he was then residing, and it is therefore highly fitting that he should have sought out a watch from Breguet. José Antonio Azlor de Aragón y Pignatelli, Duke of Villahermosa, was a Spanish nobleman, historian, and politician. Born in Madrid, he supported the city’s uprising against Napoleon in 1808 and took part in the defence of Zaragoza, later refusing allegiance to Joseph Bonaparte - a stance that led to his imprisonment in France until the French withdrawal. He was invested as a Knight of Montesa and awarded the Order of Charles III in 1824, before serving in the Estamento de Próceres, the upper chamber of Spain’s early liberal parliaments, and subsequently as a diplomat. In Madrid, his family seat was the Palacio de Villahermosa, remodelled in neoclassical style in 1805 by Antonio López Aguado. In the late 20th century this palace was transformed into the Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, now one of Spain’s foremost art institutions. Before his death in 1852, the Duke also held the titles of Count-Duke de Luna and Count de Guara.2 1 Breguet, Emmanuel, Breguet Watchmakers since 1775, Revised and Expanded Edition, Swan Éditeur, 2016, p. 287. 2 Hopkings, J & Hargreaves, M., The Papers of Henry Clay, Vol. 5, University of Kentucky, 1973, p. 1081.

An extra slim, very fine and rare 18ct gold open-faced half-quarter-repeating demi-chronometer lever watch with date and jumping hour hand

Estimation : 40000 - 80000 €

Maison de vente : Sotheby’s

Date de la vente : 09/11/2025

A large 18ct gold open-faced Souscription watch gilded Souscription calibre, large central going barrel, ruby cylinder escapement, plain three-arm balance with parachute suspension, flat spiral steel balance spring, bi-metallic compensation curb, blued steel index regulator, signed Breguet No. 3185 white enamel dial, Breguet numerals, secret signature ‘Breguet No. 3185’ beneath 12, outer minute ring, single blued steel Breguet hand, dial securing screw above 6 o’clock, further signed Breguet et Fils beneath 6 o’clock 18ct gold Joly case, the back with unusual concentric engine-turned crémaillère rings, milled case sides with raised polished central band, case back interior numbered 3185 B and 2184 *, case maker’s stamp J L J beneath a bird in lozenge-shaped cartouche for Joly, Paris assay and discharge marks comprising cockerel 3 with right leg raised and head turned right in irregular hexagon cartouche (3rd standard gold 750/1000, 1809-1819), bear’s head 3 facing left in circular cartouche (750/1000), lion’s head excise mark facing right in circular frame (1809-1819) Measurements diameter 62mm case depth 14mm weight 143g Accompaniments with a later associated velvet lined fitted box with compartment for large ratchet key with hexagonal head and a Breguet 250th anniversary certificate Duc de Frias, 1818 Rev. Bentinck Hawkins Christie’s London, 6 February 1895, lot 37 sold to Roberts for £12.150. Louis Desoutter, London 1909 – the Breguet Archives note the firm supplied certificate no. 2539 for the present watch to Desoutter on 26 November 1909. Charles Kalish, New York. Sotheby & Co. London, An Important Collection of Watches and Clocks, The Property of Charles Kalish Esq. of New York, 13 July 1964, lot 84 sold for £750 ($2,100) to Mrs Oakes. Purchased from the above. Britten, F. J., Old Clocks and Watches and their Makers, London: E. & F. N. Spon, Seventh Edition, 1956, p. 169. Britten, F. J., Old Clocks and Watches and their Makers, London: Bloomsbury, Ninth Edition, 1982, p. 183, plate 124. The case back has a most unusual and distinctive engine-turned pattern of concentric circles, echoing the crémaillère borders often found around the chapter rings of Breguet’s dials. This case design is extremely rare, with perhaps as few as nine identified among Breguet’s recorded works.1 Most were produced with gold dials, making the present example with its white enamel dial especially rare. For further examples of this case decoration, see: Breguet no. 2053 illustrated in Breguet in the Hermitage p. 20, Breguet Art and Innovation, p. 54-55 and Breguet Watchmakers since 1775 p. 218 Bernardino Fernández de Velasco, 14th Duke of Frías (1783–1851) A senior figure in 19th-century Spanish nobility, Bernardino Fernández de Velasco y Benavides, 14th Duke of Frías, was born in Madrid in 1783 and inherited the dukedom in 1811, which he held until his death in 1851. As head of the House of Velasco, he carried one of Spain’s oldest hereditary titles, which also conferred the traditional distinction of Constable of Castile, a title historically associated with military leadership and courtly precedence. The Duke’s political career reflected the shifting currents of post-Napoleonic Spain: he held high office as a diplomat, senator, and even briefly as Prime Minister of Spain in 1838, serving under Queen Isabella II. The Duc de Frias also purchased Breguet No. 3234, a ruby cylinder souscription watch, on 23 June 1819 for Fr. 920 (see: Sotheby & Co., 22 April 1965, lot 161) and No. 3066, a first class half-quarter repeating watch with moon phases (see: An Apogee of European Watchmaking, Breguet/Louvre, 2009, p.98). Breguet’s Souscription Watches Following his return to Paris from exile in Switzerland in 1795, Abraham-Louis Breguet faced the considerable task of rebuilding his business. He recovered his home and workshop at Quai de l’Horloge in Paris, confiscated during the Revolution, in 1796. In this critical period of re-establishment, Breguet introduced what would become one of his most commercially important innovations: the Montre à Souscription, or Subscription watch. Launched formally in 1797, the Souscription watch was conceived as a robust, high-quality timepiece of simplified construction, sold at a moderate price. Breguet described it in a brochure issued that same year as a watch ‘sufficiently perfect to rank immediately behind astronomical and marine timekeepers, but available to the public at a moderate price.’2 Designed for reliability and ease of repair, the watch featured a large, single-handed enamel dial and a movement architecture centred on a powerful mainspring designed to run for 36 hours. The large dial with clear calibrations ensured that time could be easily read to the nearest five minutes. Breguet also stated in the brochure that each dial would bear ‘a special mark… made by a machine whose effects are extremely difficult to imitate’,3 a clear reference to his secret signature. The large central barrel was engineered to draw power only from the central portion of the mainspring—avoiding the extremes of tension when fully wound or nearly unwound—thereby delivering a more even and consistent force over its running period. Breguet further noted that the connection between the balance and the gear train would be entirely in steel, acting on ruby bearings, and that the escapement would be protected against shocks, even in the event of a fall.4 The economic model Breguet proposed for its manufacture was equally innovative. Recognising the difficulty of raising capital through borrowing, ‘which no honest industry, in the current circumstances, could sustain’, Breguet chose to fund the project through advance subscriptions. ‘A certain number of watches must be made at once to give their execution the uniformity and perfection I seek... the subscriber who pays a portion in advance will find compensation in the moderation of the purchase price.’5 Clients paid one quarter of the 600-livre price up front, with delivery guaranteed in sequence of subscription.6 As Emmanuel Breguet notes, the money collected in advance enabled Breguet to procure components for what was effectively a form of early series production.7 The concept had been forming since at least 1792, when Breguet sold a ’simple watch with one hand’ to Talleyrand, but the Souscription model was the first systematic and commercially scaled iteration.8 George Daniels emphasised the mechanical consistency that emerged from this series: though early experimental pieces varied in escapement type, later examples showed clear uniformity in their central-barrel movement design, regulated by Breguet’s ruby-cylinder escapement.9 Cases were typically engine-turned silver with gold bezels, gold cased examples were also made; dials were almost always in enamel, fitted with Breguet’s friction-set single hand, and discretely signed under the 12 with his secret signature. Following the publication of Breguet’s 1797 brochure, the Souscription watch was an immediate success. Of the 105 watches sold in 1798, forty were Souscription models.10 The advance payments made to purchase them significantly helped the firm re-establish its presence following Abraham-Louis’s return to Paris, and Souscription watches remained a popular and important part of Breguet’s production well into the 19th century. 1 Keith Orford, A Watch with Breguet’s Échappement Naturel, Antiquarian Horology, vol. 32, No. 1, March 2010, p. 55. 2 Breguet, printed brochure for the Souscription watch, 1797. Original: "J’ai pensé que le Public accueilleroit favorablement des montres assez parfaites pour tenir le premier rang, après les machines servant à l’Astronomie et à la Marine, lorsqu’il pourroit les avoir à un prix modéré." 3 Ibid. Original: “je mettrai sur le cadran une marque particulière, exécutée par une machine dont les effets sont très-difficiles à imiter.” 4 Ibid. Original: "Elles se distinguent par leur simplicité et par une disposition qui garantit l’échappement des accidens les plus graves, même en cas de chûtes." 5 Ibid. Original: "Le moyen de se les procurer, par un emprunt, oblige de supporter un intérêt énorme, que dans l’état actuel des choses, aucune industrie honnête ne peut couvrir." 6 Ibid. Original: "Il faut pouvoir faire un certain nombre de montres à-la-fois, pour donner à leur exécution toute l’uniformité et la perfection que je desire... le souscripteur qui payeroit une partie d’avance, trouveroit son indemnité dans la modération du prix d’acquisition." 7 Emmanuel Breguet, Breguet: Watchmakers Since 1775, Revised and Expanded Edition, Swan Éditeur, 2016, p. 128. 8 Ibid. 9 George Daniels, The Art of Breguet, Sotheby Parke Bernet, 1975, p. 62. 10 Emmanuel Breguet, Breguet: Watchmakers Since 1775, Revised and Expanded Edition, Swan Éditeur, 2016, p. 139.

A large 18ct gold open-faced Souscription watch

Estimation : 8000 - 16000 €

Maison de vente : Sotheby’s

Date de la vente : 09/11/2025

A silver and gold montre souscription à tact 23’’’ gilded Souscription calibre, large central going barrel, ruby cylinder escapement, plain three-arm balance with parachute suspension, blued steel balance spring with bi-metallic compensation curb, blued steel regulator with extended arc for cuvette aperture, signed Breguet No. 1106, the number repeated to bottom plate small off-set white enamel dial, Roman numerals, outer minute ring with plain border, blued steel Breguet hands silver collier-form Tavernier case, engine-turned covers with ray-form guilloché pattern, glazed aperture to front revealing dial, small rose gold vacant oval cartouche at opposite edge, hinged at VII-VIII, rose gold arrow-form tact hand mounted to back, gold chased and engraved medallion to edge beneath translucent enamel depicting infants at play, rose gold bezels, pendant and ring, front bezel with touch pins at the hours, back bezel with 5-minute graduations adjacent to tip of tact hand, silver fluted band, gilded dial cuvette with apertures for winding, hand-setting and regulation signed and numbered Breguet à Paris No. 1106, inside front cover with Paris assay and discharge marks comprising head of a Greek woman (1) in oval cartouche (first standard silver 950/1000), head of man facing forwards (85) in round frame (1798-1809), further mark partially obscured by dial aperture, case maker’s mark P.B T with triangle above in irregular-pentagonal cartouche for Pierre-Benjamin Tavernier, numbered B 1106, 2123 with a short gold Breguet chain and ratchet key Measurements diameter 57.5mm case depth 11mm (excluding crystal and medallion) length of chain/key 125mm weight 117.6g (including chain/key) weight 107.6mm (approx. excluding chain/key) Accompaniments with a Breguet 250th anniversary certificate Lord Lauderdale for General Kitroff 1804. Sotheby & Co. London, 29 July 1963, lot 247 £480 $1,344, sold to Mrs Oakes. Purchased from the above. Although Breguet’s montres à tact often only have touch pins within the band at the hours, the present watch features additional slots incised into the rim of the rotating case back beside the tip of the tact hand, allowing the time to be estimated more easily to the nearest five minutes. General Kitroff In 1804, relations between Britain and Russia were undergoing a crucial realignment, shaped by shared concerns over Napoleon Bonaparte’s growing power and ambition. Although the two powers had not yet formalised an alliance, their strategic interests were converging rapidly. Britain, already at war with France since 1803, grew increasingly alarmed by Napoleon’s preparations for a cross-Channel invasion and his tightening grip on continental Europe. In Russia, Emperor Alexander I - young, idealistic, and eager to assert moral leadership - was deeply disturbed by Napoleon’s execution of the Duc d’Enghien in March 1804, a Bourbon prince whose death shocked European aristocracy and undermined any remaining illusions about the nature of Napoleon’s regime. It was in this tense and transitional moment that this finely made Breguet watch was presented by James Maitland, 8th Earl of Lauderdale, to General Kitroff, a Russian officer who by 1808 would serve as aide-de-camp to Grand Duke Constantine.1 The watch was purchased on 14 May 1804, just days before Napoleon was officially declared Emperor of the French. Though the precise context of the gift remains speculative, its timing and the identities involved suggest the possibility of a diplomatic gesture, perhaps part of the broader British effort to strengthen ties with Russia through informal channels as well as formal negotiation. Notably, despite the fact that Breguet watches were made in France, they continued to be highly coveted even by the country’s foes, a testament to their exceptional craftsmanship and prestige across Europe’s aristocratic elites. At a time when personal gifts among such circles often carried political undertones, the watch may have served as a symbol of goodwill or influence at a moment when Britain and Russia were quietly rebuilding trust. Their converging interests - preserving the European balance of power, curbing French expansion, and defending dynastic legitimacy - would soon solidify in the Anglo-Russian alliance of 1805 and the formation of the Third Coalition. The gift, viewed in this light, embodies the subtler forms of diplomacy that accompanied the great power realignments of the Napoleonic era. Although little is recorded of General Kitroff, it is known that he attended the Congress of Erfurt as part of Emperor Alexander I’s entourage, by which time he was serving as aide-de-camp to Grand Duke Constantine.2 His inclusion in the imperial party suggests his trusted status within the Russian military establishment and his proximity to the Romanov court at a moment of critical diplomatic significance. The Congress of Erfurt, held from 27 September to 14 October 1808, was a high-profile summit between Napoleon Bonaparte and Emperor Alexander I, intended to reaffirm their alliance amid rising tensions in Europe. While the meeting projected unity through public displays of friendship and ceremony, key differences remained unresolved—particularly over Poland, the Balkans, and the war in Spain. Despite its diplomatic theatre, the congress failed to restore genuine trust between the two powers, and the alliance would unravel within four years. Further details about Kitroff emerge from official correspondence of early 1809, which places him at the heart of a diplomatic mission in the Danubian Principalities, then under Russian military administration. At this time, he was described as aide-de-camp to His Imperial Majesty the Emperor of Russia, temporarily attached to General Kutuzov at Jassy, and noted to be Kutuzov’s son-in-law. In February 1809, he arrived in Crajova with other high-ranking officers—including Colonel Kousnikoff and Lieutenant-Colonel Ouchakoff—to receive a delegation of foreign ambassadors. He was entrusted with a sum of 3,000 ducats (drawn from a total of 20,000 allocated by the Emperor) to cover their expenses and was responsible for coordinating their itinerary, route, and movements with both Russian and Ottoman officials. His administrative role included adjusting departure schedules while awaiting instructions from Jassy and liaising with senior figures such as Prince Menzikoff and General Prosorovski. These activities show Kitroff operating at a delicate nexus of diplomacy and military logistics, entrusted with both financial oversight and the management of protocol at a time when the political balance in southeastern Europe was under close negotiation between empires.3 Kitroff is referenced again a few years later in a letter written by Lord Burghersh to Lord Castlereagh from Florence on 27 September 1818. In the letter Lord Burghersh writes: “My dear Lord Castlereagh—Since my despatches directed to you have been sent to the post, I have an offer from General Kitroff to convey anything for you direct to Aix-La-Chapelle”.4 James Maitland, 8th Earl of Lauderdale 1759-1839 James Maitland, 8th Earl of Lauderdale was a prominent Scottish nobleman whose career straddled the turbulent political and intellectual landscapes of late 18th- and early 19th-century Britain. A staunch supporter of reform and civil liberty, Lauderdale entered the House of Commons in 1780 and rapidly established himself as a vigorous opponent of government repression. An ally of Charles James Fox, he was outspoken in his sympathy for the principles of the French Revolution (at least in its early, constitutional phase) and became known for his sharp critiques of British policy and aristocratic privilege. Elevated to the House of Lords in 1790, Lauderdale remained active in public life, though increasingly drawn to political economy. In 1804, he published An Inquiry into the Nature and Origin of Public Wealth, a pioneering work in economic theory. On 22 February 1806 he was created a Peer of the United Kingdom as Baron Lauderdale of Thirlestane, county Berwick. On 15 August 1782 he married Eleanor (d. 1856) the only daughter and heiress of Anthony Todd. Lauderdale was appointed by the British government as a special envoy to Napoleon’s court in 1806. He travelled to Paris as part of the failed negotiations to end the War of the Third Coalition. There, he conferred directly with Talleyrand and French officials, but the mission ultimately collapsed over British refusal to accept France’s expanded influence in continental Europe. His experience in Paris left him deeply sceptical of Napoleon’s ambitions. Lauderdale’s later years were spent largely in scholarly pursuits and managing his estate at Thirlestane Castle in Berwickshire, the grand ancestral home of the Maitland family since 1590. Though he never held high office, his influence as an intellectual and dissenting voice within the Whig establishment was lasting. He died in 1839, remembered less for political power than for his fearless independence of thought, his economic foresight, and his principled, if often controversial, engagement with the defining issues of his age. His great grandson, Arthur Balfour, would later become Prime Minister of Great Britain. Lord Lauderdale also purchased Breguet No. 1913 in February 1807 for Fr. 2,760 – a quarter repeating, open-faced lever watch (see Chayette, 5 December 1985, lot 18). That watch was supplied to Lauderdale via Dubois Fils. 1 Wairy, Louis Constant, Recollections of the Private Life of Napoleon, 1895, Chapter XI, p. 131. 2 Ibid. 3 Odobescu, A. I., ed. Documente privitóre la Istoria Românilor: Urmare la colecțiunea luǐ Eudoxiu de Hurmuzaki. Suplement I, Volumul II: 1781–1814. Cu portretul lui Ioan Gheorghe Caragea Voevod. București: Ministeriului Afacerilor Straine Din Paris,1885, p. 543. 4 Vane, Charles William, ed. Memoirs and Correspondence of Viscount Castlereagh, 2nd Marquess of Londonderry, London: John Murray, 1853, Vol. 12, p. 43.

A silver and gold montre souscription à tact

Estimation : 30000 - 60000 €

Maison de vente : Sotheby’s

Date de la vente : 09/11/2025

An important and exceptionally rare gold self-winding minute repeating lever watch, the hours and quarters repeating à toc, the minutes on a gong, with 60-hour state of wind indication, constructed on the principles of Garde-Temps 23’’’ gilded movement, lever escapement, the steel lever pallets inset with rubies, four-arm bi-metallic balance with Arnold-type compensation affixes screwed to opposite pair, remaining two arms with screws passing through the rims, early form or parachute suspension, both pivots with conical jewel, hours and quarters repeating via a single hammer striking a block mounted to movement edge by 3 o’clock, the minutes via separate hammer on a gong, large perpetuelle weight mounted to edge of backplate, two buffer springs for weight mounted around movement edge, movement edge beneath front bezel at 7 o’clock with slide for perpétuelle weight locking engraved M/A for Marche/Arret, precision adjustment screw beneath 4 o’clock for regulation, movement edge further signed and numbered 6/87 No. 47, Inventé par Breguet à Paris, No. 47 white enamel dial, Breguet numerals, outer minute ring, sector for state-of-wind calibrated for 60 hours, large subsidiary seconds, blued steel Breguet pear-shaped hands, cursive Breguet signature within subsidiary seconds gold engine-turned ‘collier’ case, the back guilloché à grains d’orge, band with wave-form engine-turning, pusher at 3 to open case front, quarter turn piston repeat through pendant, inside case back numbered 47 B, rubbed assay and maker’s mark Measurements diameter 56.5mm depth 19.5mm weight of watch 152.5g weight including chain and key 158.2g Accompaniments with a later short gold Breguet chain and ratchet key with French weevil import assay in fitted frame (1838-64) and a later morocco leather Breguet fitted box with gold tooling, velvet lined fitted interior, the base with gilt roundel signed Breguet & Compie quai de l’Horloge du Palais, No. 39 à Paris and a Breguet 250th anniversary certificate George John Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer (1758-1834) 22 December 1802 returned to Breguet in Paris for repair (probably via Recordon) c. 20 June 1803 returned to London via Miss Recordon for Louis Recordon, Breguet’s London agent. Reparied by E. Dent of Pall Mall in 1969 for £65. … Professor Thomas Engel Engel, Thomas, A. L. Breguet, Watchmaker to Kings, 1994, pp. 88-89. An exceptionally rare perpétuelle watch, this is an important early work by the great master that not only retains its original enamel dial, but in addition to its lever escapement with Arnold-style balance and early parachute shock protection, also incorporates minute repetition. Beyond its horological significance, it carries a fascinating provenance, stretching from George John Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer (1758–1834), to Professor Thomas Engel, one of Breguet’s most passionate collectors. The Breguet Archives do not contain records before 1787 and so it is not possible to be certain when the first perpétuelle watches were made. Emmanuel Breguet’s own research has shown that Breguet’s version of the self-winding watch was developed between 1775 and 1779.1 Breguet claimed himself that by 1780 Marie Antoinette and the Duc d’Orléans were both in possession of such a watch. Watch No. 2 10/82 is the earliest now known and is believed to have been owned by Marie Antoinette, its fractional number indicating a date of completion in October 1782.2 Early Perpétuelles were fitted with distinctive white enamel dials, their finely painted Arabic hour indexes were complimented by delicate minute rings, subsidiary seconds and an up-and-down sector showing the watch’s state of wind. Not all perpétuelles were completed in order, with some occasionally started and finished years apart. Many had their dials replaced, either due to damage or to modernise their appearance. Perpétuelles were always extremely expensive and Breguet was keen to re-purchase them whenever the opportunity arose. Updating these watches with the newly fashionable guilloché enamel dials for which Breguet had become so well-known was therefore not uncommon in the 19th century. It is extremely rare to find early perpétuelles that retain their original enamel dials. Breguet was one of the few watchmakers to exploit the lever escapement at this early date. Its inventor, Thomas Mudge, had himself noted that to successfully produce the lever escapement “requires a delicacy in the execution that you will find very few artists equal to.”3 It is in this watch that the finesse of Breguet’s interpretation of the lever escapement may be appreciated. Here one may also find an early example of his parachute protection — a safety device designed to guard the balance staff against shock, originally developed for his perpétuelles to mitigate the vibrations caused by the heavy platinum weight as it buffered against its limiting springs. Although Breguet made a large number of repeating watches in a variety of different forms, those with minute repetition are extremely rare. A most novel and unusual combination, the hours and quarters are repeated à toc by a single hammer striking a block to the inside of the case band by 3 o’clock. By contrast, the minutes are struck by a separate hammer on a short flat steel gong. There is continued debate as to the invention of the gong-form of repeat but as Daniels notes in The Art of Breguet, “If Breguet did invent the gong it was in this form and probably before 1783.”4 The fractional number of the present watch shows that it was completed in June 1787. It does not appear in Breguet’s sales books (which began during 1787) but it does appear in the repairs register. The entry in the Breguet registre de rhabillage is dated 1 Nivose An XI (22 December 1802) and records that the watch’s owner was Lord Spencer. The repairs undertaken between 1802 and 1803 included: “arbre de barillet, roue de remontoir, pont de barillet, grand ressort de masse, une partie des vis, une roue à rochet.” (work carried out on the barrel arbor, the winding wheel, the large mass spring etc). These repairs were completed around 20 June 1803 (beginning of Messidor) for Fr. 360, after which the watch was returned to London via Miss Recordon, who delivered the watch to her father, Breguet’s London agent, Louis Recordon. For a perpétuelle with similar Arnold-type balance, see Daniels, George, The Art of Breguet, 1975, p. 115 pl. 20 & 21 and for another minute repeating perpétuelle, see op. cit. p. 210, figs. 211 a-c. George John Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer (1758–1834) George John Spencer, 2nd Earl Spencer (1758–1834), was a leading Whig statesman, philanthropist, and the foremost English bibliophile of his age. Born at Wimbledon Park, the only son of the 1st Earl Spencer (1734–1783) and Georgiana Poyntz, he was educated by Sir William Jones before attending Harrow School and Trinity College, Cambridge, and entered Parliament as Viscount Althorp before succeeding his father as Earl Spencer in 1783. In politics, Spencer served as First Lord of the Admiralty (1794–1801), where his appointments of Jervis, Duncan, and Nelson contributed directly to the victories of St Vincent, Camperdown, and the Nile. He handled the naval mutinies of 1797 with firmness and tact, personally negotiating at Spithead and confronting sedition at the Nore. Briefly Home Secretary in 1806–7, he later retired from national politics to concentrate on philanthropy and county affairs in Northamptonshire. Lord Spencer was home secretary during the Grenville/Fox coalition, the so-called “Ministry of All the Talents” from 1806-1807. Part of his commission was to investigate the conduct of Caroline Princess of Wales whose daughter, the Countess of Flahault (née Margaret Mercer Elphinstone) is also featured in this auction through her own Breguet watch no. 338 (see lot 64). Though Spencer’s view of France was hardened by the Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars, it did not stop him (or many of his contemporaries) from seeking out the craftsmanship of the great Breguet in Paris. Politically, he was sceptical of French intentions, and in 1802 he was among just sixteen peers who spoke and voted in the House of Lords against the Peace of Amiens, believing it an unsound and temporary settlement.5 Yet ironically it was precisely this fragile interlude of peace which allowed him to send this Breguet watch back to Paris for repair on 22 December 1802, probably via Breguet’s London agent, Louis Recordon. Britain declared war on France on 18 May 1803, ending the Treaty of Amiens, but the watch was safely returned to London shortly afterwards via Recordon’s daughter. His greatest distinction lay in his library at Althorp, which, expanded by major purchases such as Count Reviczky’s collection, grew to over 40,000 volumes and became the nucleus of the John Rylands Library in Manchester. A founder and the first President of the Roxburghe Club, he was regarded as the greatest collector of early printed books in Europe. Spencer’s wife, Lady Lavinia Bingham (1762–1831), was a celebrated society hostess, and together they regularly entertained leading figures of the day at Althorp and at Spencer House in London. They had eight children, among them John Charles Spencer, 3rd Earl Spencer, and Father Ignatius Spencer. Through this line the 2nd Earl was a direct ancestor of Diana, Princess of Wales, while his first cousin, George Spencer, 4th Duke of Marlborough, was the great-great-great grandfather of Winston Churchill. Thomas Engel (1927–2015) Professor Thomas Engel was a German inventor and industrial chemist, internationally recognised for his pioneering work on polymers. In 1966 he developed a commercial process for cross-linking plastic extrusion, making a significant step forward in plastics technology and, in 1972, he won the Diesel price, which he shared with Wernher von Braun. Engel’s passion for horology began in the 1960s when a friend produced a Breguet repeating watch during a car journey. Its chime captivated him, and soon afterwards he bought a copy of Sir David Salomons’s book on Breguet — “from that moment I was hooked,” he recalled. Over the following decades he built a distinguished collection, with Breguet at its centre, and was known for his insistence on originality and quality. His admiration for Breguet extended beyond collecting: in collaboration with the Swiss watchmaker Richard Daners, he created a series of finely executed “Engel Breguets” after the master’s style, now valued as collectors’ pieces in their own right. A prolific writer, Engel published an important work dedicated to the work of Breguet titled A.L. Breguet, Watchmaker to Kings. He also pursued ambitious plans to establish an “Engel Time Museum” to share his collection with the public, though the project was never realised. Remembered as one of Breguet’s most ardent modern admirers, Engel united the perspectives of scientist, collector, and maker in a way that ensured his name would remain closely associated with the legacy of Abraham-Louis Breguet. 1 Breguet, Emmanuel, Breguet Watchmakers since 1775, Revised and Expanded Edition, Swan Éditeur, 2016, p. 32. 2 Daniels, George, The Art of Breguet, London & New York: Sotheby Parke, Bernet, 1975, pp. 63-66 and for no. 8 see p. 139, figs. 67a–c. 3 Extract from a letter written by Thomas Mudge to his patron Count von Brühl in August 1776 and recounted in Good, The First Lever Watch made by Thomas Mudge, pp. 33-35. 4 Daniels, George, The Art of Breguet, London & New York: Sotheby Parke, Bernet, 1975, p. 66. 5 Lester, M.  (2008, January 03). Spencer, George John, second Earl Spencer (1758–1834), politician and book collector. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography https://doi.org/10.1093/ref:odnb/26125

An important and exceptionally rare gold self-winding minute repeating lever watch, the hours and quarters repeating à toc, the minutes on a gong, with 60-hour state of wind indication, constructed on the principles of Garde-Temps

Estimation : 120000 - 240000 €

Maison de vente : Sotheby’s

Date de la vente : 09/11/2025

A gold open-faced montre répétition perpétuelle self-winding watch with state-of-wind indication quarter repeating à toc 22’’’ gilded movement, lever escapement, dual mainspring barrels, five wheel train, wolf’s tooth winding, steel lever with inset ruby pallets, brass escape wheel with upright teeth, two-arm bi-metallic chronometer-style balance with sliding curved trapezoid weights, four mean-time screws, steel balance spring with Breguet overcoil, both pivots with parachute suspension, large platinum broad crescent-shaped perpétuelle weight mounted to the backplate and buffering off two long springs mounted to the edge of the movement, single hammer quarter repeating à toc, movement side beneath VII o’clock with perpétuelle weight locking slide engraved M/A for Marche/Arret, further slide beneath IIII o’clock for regulation, movement edge signed and numbered Breguet No. 2926 silver engine-turned dial, clous-de-Paris guilloché centre, twin satin finished chapter rings with black Roman numerals and pearled minutes, fan-form sector for state of wind indication calibrated for 60 hours, subsidiary seconds at 6 o’clock, each with damier patterned engine-turning, crémaillère borders, satin finished angled cartouche beneath VI signed Breguet et Fils gold collier-form case, the back and band engine-turned à grains d’orge, small monogrammed cartouche to centre, plain ring pendant with quarter-turn piston repeat, additional later glazed case back Measurements diameter 51mm depth 19.5mm (with glazed back) weight 138.2g (with glazed back) Accompaniments with a Breguet 250th anniversary certificate Gabriel-Julien Ouvrard, French Banker, 1816. ----- Baron Sandberg C.B.E. Antiquorum Geneva, The Sandberg Watch Collection, 31 March – 1 April 2001, lot 184. Christie’s Geneva, 16 May 2016, lot 125. Camerer Cuss, Terence, The Sandberg Watch Collection, 1998, Geneva: Antiquorum, pp. 172-173, cat. 115. On his return to France from exile in Switzerland, Breguet recognised the increasing importance of the new banking elite and focused his attention on courting this new trend-setting social stratum. Between 1798 and 1809, Breguet sold around 60 watches to prominent bankers.1 A slight pause brought about by the political uncertainties of the period followed, as years of war, occupation, and reparations encouraged a more measured expression of wealth in French society, before the bankers returned as major purchasers again from 1815.2 Among the most influential of Breguet’s banking clients was Gabriel-Julien Ouvrard (1770–1846), a financier whose career spanned the Revolutionary, Napoleonic, and Restoration eras. In addition to the perpétuelle offered here, Ouvrard had acquired a ruby cylinder repeating watch from Breguet in 1801 (no. 680). Born in the Vendée, the son of a paper-mill owner, he entered trade in Nantes as a young man and rose with extraordinary speed through naval and military supply contracts. By the close of the Directory he was at the centre of some of the largest financial operations in France, closely tied to the Bank of France and the Compagnie des Négociants Réunis, and by the early 19th century was counted among the wealthiest men in Europe. His fortunes, however, faltered under Napoleon: imprisoned for debt in 1809 and further compromised by involvement in clandestine peace negotiations with England, he spent the later years of the Empire in political disgrace and financial difficulty. The Restoration brought a return to influence. In 1816, acting as an adviser to Prime Minister the duc de Richelieu, Ouvrard helped to secure a 100-million-franc annuity that allowed France to meet reparations and accelerated the withdrawal of occupying troops. In that same year he purchased the present watch - a Breguet perpétuelle, at the time one of the most expensive and prestigious models offered by the firm – as well as the Château de la Chaussée at Bougival, a distinguished estate on the outskirts of Paris that gave architectural expression to his recovered prestige. Although subsequent overextension in foreign ventures led to scandal, bankruptcy, and renewed imprisonment, Ouvrard remained a figure of lasting consequence. He died in London in 1846. 1 Breguet, Emmanuel, Breguet Watchmakers since 1775, Revised and Expanded Edition, Swan Éditeur, 2016, pp. 185-186. 2 Ibid.

A gold open-faced montre répétition perpétuelle self-winding watch with state-of-wind indication quarter repeating à toc

Estimation : 150000 - 300000 €

Maison de vente : Sotheby’s

Date de la vente : 09/11/2025

A very fine and small 18ct gold open-faced ruby cylinder watch with eccentric dial, specially sealed case, gold chain and key 12’’’ nouveau calibre gilded movement, ruby cylinder escapement, three-arm blued steel balance, parachute suspension, extended steel regulation index for adjustment in case band, numbered to bridge beneath dial 119 eccentric white enamel dial signed Breguet, Roman numerals, outer minute ring, blued steel Breguet hands 18ct gold Sécheret case, engine-turned à grains d’orge, back centred with polished circular cartouche decorated with five translucent blue enamel roundels, a sixth roundel forming an aperture for hand-setting square, off-set aperture for female winding square, milled band, regulation index recessed to the band between 10 and 11 o’clock, pendant with indistinct head assay mark, inside case back numbered 338 B and 632, French Hippocrates head 3 in irregular hexagonal cartouche (3rd standard gold 750/1000, 1838-1919), case maker’s mark LS with underlined triangle above and star beneath in lozenge-shaped cartouche for Leopold Sécheret short gold Breguet link chain with double ended male/female ratchet key, shank’s roundel with French eagle’s head assay (1838-46) and maker’s mark LS with star beneath and crown above, chain’s upper jump ring punched twice with ram’s head restricted warranty mark (Paris 1819-1838) Measurements diameter 31mm depth including crystal 7mm chain length with key (excluding watch) 105mm weight of watch including key and chain 23.1g Accompaniments Breguet Certificate No. 4443 dated 11 May 2016, later fitted box with gilt tooling, numbered 632 to the lid and signed Breguet to the interior silk lining, leather pouch with the stamp of Jump, Mount Street, London and a Breguet 250th anniversary certificate This exquisitely finished watch, no. 338, purchased by the Comtesse in 1840, displays many of the subtle refinements for which the Maison Breguet was celebrated. The white enamel dial is elegantly off-set, a deliberate design choice which also served a practical purpose by allowing the movement to accommodate a larger mainspring barrel. The central cartouche of the case back is decorated with six roundels: five are filled with translucent dark blue enamel, while the sixth ingeniously conceals the recessed square for hand-setting. Additional features include the winding square placed off-set within the case back and a regulation index recessed discreetly into the band between 10 and 11 o’clock. This arrangement ensured that neither the front nor the back of the watch needed to be opened for winding, setting, or regulation. Indeed, as the case back is not designed to be removed from the exterior, access to the movement itself was possible only after the removal of the dial and, even then, it could be released from the case only by operating a sequence of secret locking screws - a clear attempt to prevent interference or tampering. Margaret de la Billardrie, Lady Nairne, Baroness Keith and Countess of Flahault (1788-1867) Within her courtly circles, the Comtesse de Flahault, née Margaret Mercer Elphinstone, would have been familiar with the work of Abraham-Louis Breguet. Her marriage to the Comte de Flahault in 1817, however, brought her into direct contact with many of those within Breguet’s orbit. Auguste Charles Joseph, Comte de Flahault de la Billarderie (1785–1870), was born in Paris to Adélaïde Filleul, later Madame de Souza-Botelho, the noted novelist. He was widely acknowledged to be the natural son of Charles-Maurice de Talleyrand-Périgord, the future Prince de Bénévent and one of the most influential European statesmen of his age. Though never formally legitimised, Flahault’s career benefited from Talleyrand’s discreet support, and his rise - from aide-de-camp to Napoleon to senior diplomatic appointments under successive regimes - reflected the advantages of this connection. Prince Talleyrand was one of Breguet’s most important patrons, responsible for introducing the watchmaker to a wide circle of influential and important clients. It was at Talleyrand’s house that Breguet is said to have demonstrated his invention of the parachute balance-staff protection system by throwing a watch to the floor in front of his host and their guests - to general astonishment, the mechanism continued to run. The Comte de Flahault was himself a Breguet customer. Before his marriage to Margaret he had purchased watch No. 2200, a lever watch made “sur le principe de garde-temps”, acquired on 31 August 1814 for Fr. 3,000 (sold Antiquorum 7 December 1988, lot 223). During the 1830s, Flahault became aide-de-camp to Ferdinand-Philippe, Duc d’Orléans, another important patron of Breguet. It was during this period, in 1836, that the Duc d’Orléans took delivery of one of Breguet’s most celebrated works: an ormolu-mounted red boulle Sympathique quarter-striking clock with half-quarter repeating watch, nos. 128 and 5009. Given their close association with the Duc, it is very possible that the Flahaults would have seen the Sympathique. The Sympathique later entered the collection of the Time Museum, was sold at Sotheby’s in December 1999, and is now at the Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva. The Comtesse de Flahault occupied a singular position in early nineteenth-century society in both London and Paris. Born in Hertford Street in London’s Mayfair as Margaret Mercer Elphinstone in 1788, she was the only child of Admiral George Keith, 1st Viscount Keith (1746-1823), and Jane Mercer of Aldie (d. 1789). Her father, a distinguished naval officer, was created Baron Keith of Stonehaven Marischal in the Peerage of Ireland (1797) and Baron Keith of Banheath, co. Dunbarton in the Peerage of Great Britain (1803), both with the unusual special remainder to his daughter Margaret. This provision ensured that, upon his death in 1823, the dignities did not lapse for want of a male heir but instead descended to his daughter. Accordingly, Margaret succeeded suo jure as 2nd Baroness Keith. In 1837, upon the death of her cousin William, 6th Baron Nairne who died unmarried, Margaret also inherited the title Baroness Nairne. She was a rare instance of a woman of her generation holding multiple peerages independently, rather than by courtesy or marriage. Margaret was already a familiar figure at court before assuming her father’s titles, in large part through her close friendship with Princess Charlotte of Wales (1796–1817), the only child of the Prince Regent, later George IV, and heir presumptive to the throne. The Princess’s household was tightly controlled by her father, who restricted her companions to a very narrow circle of young women of suitable family and character. Margaret’s parentage and social standing, combined with her reputation for intelligence and spirit, secured her place within this select company. Surviving correspondence demonstrates that Charlotte turned to Margaret regularly, and the frequency of their letters suggests the depth of the bond that developed between them. Their friendship was both personal and political, providing Charlotte with a trusted confidante as she navigated the isolation and tensions of her position. The relationship endured until the Princess’s untimely death in 1817, an event which left a lasting impression on Margaret. On 20 June 1817, Margaret married Auguste Charles Joseph, Comte de Flahault-de-la- Billardrie (1785-1870). The Comte had been educated in Britain and as an aide-de-camp to Napoleon Bonaparte went into exile in Britain after Napoleon’s fall. Returning to favour at the French court, the Flahaults moved to France in the late 1820s, and Margaret established herself as a prominent figure in Parisian society. The Comte was entrusted with a series of important diplomatic postings including ambassadorships at Rome and Vienna. From 1860-1862 the Comte served as French Ambassador to the Court of St. James’s during Queen Victoria’s reign. His career concluded with the prestigious office of Chancellor of the Légion d’honneur in Paris. Margaret died in 1867 at the Palais de la Légion d’honneur and was buried in Scotland at Tulliallan Castle. Of her five daughters, the eldest, Emily Jane, became Lady Nairne through succession, though the Keith baronies themselves lapsed as they were restricted to male heirs.1 1 Sources for the life of the Comtesse de Flahualt: Burke’s Peerage, 1967; Reynolds, K., Flahault de la Billardrie, Margaret de [née Margaret Mercer Elphinstone], suo jure Lady Nairne and suo jure Baroness Keith, and Countess de Flahault de la Billardrie in the French nobility (1788–1867), society hostess. Oxford Dictionary of National Biography,  Oxford: 2004; Aspinall, A. ed. Letters of the Princess Charlotte 1811-1817, London: Home and Van Thal, 1949.

A very fine and small 18ct gold open-faced ruby cylinder watch with eccentric dial, specially sealed case, gold chain and key

Estimation : 8000 - 15000 €

Maison de vente : Sotheby’s

Date de la vente : 09/11/2025

Service à thé quadripode de 3 pièces en argent 950… Service à thé quadripode de 3 pièces en argent 950 °/°° Théière, pot à lait et sucrier couvert, orfèvre Tétard Frères, reposant sur 4 pieds à bouquetins à décor néo-classique rehaussé d’un mascaron feuillagé orné d’armoirie à couronne de duc, (bosselés),

Service à thé quadripode de 3 pièces en argent 950…

Estimation : 600 - 800 €

Maison de vente : Chochon-Barré et Allardi

Date de la vente : 16/05/2019

Montre de poche en or ciselé et guilloché à décor … Montre de poche en or ciselé et guilloché à décor rayonnant, à répétition à tocs et à tact, à échapement à verge et fusée à chaîne, le cadan émaillé à chiffres romains pour les heures et chiffres arabes pour les minutes, la platine en laiton doré, signée "DE BON à Paris" (n°205), ornée d’un coq ajouré à décor de rocailles, à disque de régulateur en argent. Armage de la répétition au pendant et sur la carrure à 8 h. Paris, 1765 (lettre B). Diam. : 44 mm ; Poids brut : 74 g. Joseph DEBON : apprenti en 1738. Horloger du Duc d’Orléans en 1786.

Montre de poche en or ciselé et guilloché à décor …

Estimation : 1 - 1 €

Maison de vente : Mirabaud - Mercier

Date de la vente : 11/12/2017

Lot 23: STUDIO VAN DYK, GERALD E. HARRISON STUDIO VAN DYK, GERALD E. HARRISON REPRODUCTION DU PORTRAIT PHOTOGRAPHIQUE DU ROI EDOUARD VIII (studio Van Dyk) dans un cadre à décor chinoisant laqué à motif de personnage et pagode (env 25,5 x 35,6 cm. EAU-FORTE ’’’’Portrait d’’Edouard VIII’’ (Gerald E. Harrison) (env 26,2 x 36,7 cm) Provenance : Gouvernante du Duc et de la Duchesse de Windsor de 1959 à 1967

Lot 23 : STUDIO VAN DYK, GERALD E. HARRISON

Estimation : 100 - 150 €

Maison de vente : Artcurial

Date de la vente : 20/06/2017

JOSEPH OF HOLLYWOOD - (années 1970) Paire de clips d’oreilles en laiton estampé figurant chacun une tête de chat; non signée. H.: 4 cm. TRAVAIL FRANÇAIS - (années 1980) Bracelet manchette en laiton estampé figurant un grand duc aux ailes déployées. D.: 5 cm.

JOSEPH OF HOLLYWOOD - (années 1970)

Estimation : 140 - 180 €

Maison de vente : Coutau-Begarie

Date de la vente : 10/12/2011