$156,500
"Breguet à Versailles", Grand Complication "Tourbillon 1801-2001", No. 24/28, Ref. 1801BB. Produced expressly in a limited edition of 28 examples in 2001 to commemorate the 200th Anniversary of the invention of the tourbillon by Abraham-Louis Breguet. Extremely fine, rare and important, large, hunter case-type, water-resistant, 18K white gold gentleman's wristwatch with visible one-minute tourbillon regulator and an 18K white gold Breguet deployant clasp. Accompanied by a fitted box, tourbillon certificate and a Breguet loupe. Four-body, solid, polished and brushed, hinged hand-guilloché cover with porthole and engraved "Tourbillon" plaque, opened by a co-axial push-button in the winding crown, transparent case back to view the movement, reeded band, straight lugs with gold-screwed bars, sapphire crystals. White enamel, off-center dial with painted radial Breguet numerals and marked "1801-2001". Secret Breguet signature,"Breguet" blued steel hands. At 6, the visible tourbillon cage under a polished steel bridgecarrying the blued steel subsidiary seconds hand. Cal. 557 entirely hand-engraved and signed "Tourbillon Breguet Nr. 1887. Brevet du 7 Messidor an 9", 21 jewels, lateral lever escapement with one-minute tourbillon regulator with 3 equidistant polished steel arms, monometallic balance adjusted to 6 positions, shock-absorber, self-compensating Breguet balance-spring.Dial, case and movement signed.Diam. 42 mm. Notes The “Breguet à Versailles Tourbillon 1
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2004-05-26
