Beschreibung:

Breguet
Manufacturer: Breguet Year: Circa 1829 Case No: 4'730 Material: Yellow gold Calibre: Mechanical, main train is fully jewelled, compensation balance fitted with 22 platinum screws Dimensions: 37 mm. diameter Signed: Case numbered, dial signed and numbered Accessories: With Breguet Certificate issued on 12 October 2015 and original Breguet gold key with male end for winding the movement and female end for setting the hands. Provenance: Sold for 4,000 Francs to Princess Bagration on December 1829 and purchased back by Breguet in 1830. The watch was then resold to Mr. Nathaniel de Rothschild in 1836. Catalogue Essay Breguet, the watchmaker to the Kings, Queens and important members of the society, was acknowledged as a benefactor of horology and a supreme master of his art. This miniature complicated watch, numbered 4730, previously unknown to the market or recorded anywhere in literature, is an incredible watch on many levels. The first is the size, the case measures 37 millimetres, which is slightly larger than a one Euro coin. Next, is the provenance of the watch, having been sold to the Russian Princess Catherina Bagration in 1829 and rumoured to be a gift for Colonel Caradoc, whom she was married to at the time. This marriage soon ended and the watch was resold to Breguet in 1830. In 1835, the watch was then resold to Mr. Nathaniel de Rothschild, the famous businessman, banker and winemaker, whom established the Chateau Mouton Rothschild. The third and most important aspect of this watch are the complexities of its mechanism. The calendars advance in an anti-clockwise direction. The days of the week do not advance every 24 hours, but are advancing every 12 hours. The watch is half quarter repeating that is activated by a plunge lever in the band, repeating on one gong and one hammer. The escapement is a double wheel duplex escapement, which is extremely rare for Breguet, because it works better in thick watches and was found more in favour in English watches than French. It was rarely used by Breguet and only a few examples are known to be used for his watches. A duplex escapement is a single-impulse escapement; it is inclined to stop if the balance arc is small. This disadvantage of the duplex escapement is why Breguet abandoned its use and concentrated on other types of escapements. The main train is fully jewelled; the compensation balance with elastic suspension is fitted with 22 regulation screws made from platinum. The winding of the watch is very interesting that one selects a corrector in the band, which in turn reveals a winding hole in the case back. On further examination, when the corrector is selected, a bridge covering the winding hole is moved so that a key can fit through the case back. Another example similar to the present watch cannot be found in The Art of Breguet by George Daniels nor Breguet by Sir David Lionel Salomons, Bt., highlighting its rarity and importance. The numerals are also very intriguing and this watch is the only known Breguet finished with Roman numerals that all sit vertical and do not turn with the dial on the watch. All of these facts can only lead us to believe that this Breguet number 4730 was made upon special request. Given the watch’s petite size, we can only assume that it was designed specifically to the Princess Bagration’s specifications. The watch is preserved in absolutely exceptional condition and appears in many cases to be unused. The watch, still running today, is an important discovery and further expands upon the surpreme master Breguet and his creations. “The Wandering Princess” Emancipated, coquettish and stunningly beautiful, Princess Catherina Bagration, or “The Wandering Princess” led an extraordinary if not scandalous life. Born with impeccable lineage, Princess Catherine Bagration was the daughter of Count Pavel Martinovich Skavronsky, Chamberlain of the Royal Court and Minister Plenipotentiary to Naples and Yekaterina von Engelhardt, niece of Prince Grigory Po