59,000 CHF
“Hardstone Inlaid Case” Breguet, No. 2579, sold to Monsieur Le Grand Duc Constantin for 2000 francs. Made circa 1880. Extremely fine and very rare, 18K gold, lapis lazuli, bloodstone, white chalcedony and rose diamond-set keyless pendant watch. Four-body, “forme quatre baguettes”, the back cover with a gold-outlined mosaic forming a Gothic rosette of lapis lazuli, bloodstone, white chalcedony and rose cut diamonds. Hinged gold cuvette. Mosaic inlaid decoration using the same stomes as the case, Roman chapters on white agate quatrefoil cartouches, outer minute ring made of 60 pieces of lapis lazuli, rose-cut diamond five minute markers. Gold “Louis XV” hands. 29 mm., gilt brass bar caliber, 15 jewels, wolf’s tooth winding, counterpoised and calibrated straight line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, blued-steel Breguet balance spring, index regulator. Cuvette signed and numbered. Diam. 35.5 mm. Notes This watch derives its inspiration from a watch made by Breguet for Prince Demidoff and sold by Antiquorum, Geneva, March 31, 2001, lot 77. That watch dated from the early 19th century and its case was described in the register as a 'boite à incrustations'. It has a very unusual case and dial for Breguet, apparently made on special order. This type of case and dial were extremely expensive to make, sometimes costing more than an entire watch with no decoration. On occasion Breguet collaborated with a jeweler called Jean-Baptiste Fossin, in particular fo
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2006-05-14
