42,480 CHF
“Monsieur Castaneda” Breguet, No. 1238, montre à médaillon sold to Monsieur Castaneda on 6 Prairial an 12 (May 26, 1805) for 1500 francs. Very fine and rare gold, enamel and pearl set montre à tact. Accompanied by a Breguet certificate. Three-body, "forme quatre baguettes", by Tavernier, No. 1959/1115, front cover with translucent pale green enamel over "sunburst" engine-turning, back with gold and seed pearl set arrow, reeded band with twelve pearl touch pieces (including the pendant), detachable polished cuvette with apertures for winding, setting, regulating and the dial, pendant set with seed pearls, loose ring. Silver, small, eccentric set in the cuvette aperture, Breguet numerals, outer minute dot divisions. Blued steel Breguet hands. Notes The name of Castaneda comes up in Abraham-Louis Breguet’s correspondence and appears frequently among the buyers in Breguet’s sales ledgers. As is explained by Emmanuel Breguet in his book, "Breguet Horloger depuis 1775", Mr. Castaneda was one of the couriers. These were specialized companies handling commercial transactions as well as the transport of merchandise, in this case between France and Spain. Mr. Castaneda must therefore have been a Spanish businessman who traveled regularly to France, liaising with important Spanish clients, and particularly the Spanish royal court.
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2006-04-02
