103rd Auction

2020/11/7

Lot 125

Breguet à Paris, Movement No. 137 / 1620 / 3174, 56 mm, 149 g, circa 1806
An important heavy quarter repeating pocket watch with jumping hours "Garde Temps" in best movement design - with Breguet extract from the archives of 1899 and correspondance, with original box, original ratchet key and 18k gold watch chain
Case: 18k rose gold. Dial: enamel, secret signature "Breguet No. 137". Movm.: 3/4 plate movement, 2 hammers / 2 gongs, lever escapement, compensation balance.
The enclosed correspondence with the Breguet company and the certificates tell the fascinating story of this timepiece that can also be learned from the Breguet archives: Originally the watch featured a minute repeater and was sold as number 137 for 2,400 francs in the month Ventôse in year VI of the French Republic (February 24, 1798) to Monsieur Briqueville, Chef d'escadron, only to be purchased back by Breguet later. On June 2, 1806 the piece was sold – now as number 1620 – to Monsieur Bontems for 2,640 francs. Again it was repurchased by Breguet and then sold – as number 3174 – to Count Razoumowsky on October 2, 1817; according to the Breguet certificate no. 2432 dating from 1899, the watch was now fitted with a quarter repeater. In spite of its rather eventful history, the watch – which has an unusual lever escapement – is in excellent condition and certainly a precious collector’s piece.
Andrey Kirillovich Razumovsky (1752-1836) was the Ambassador from the Russian Empire to the Congress of Vienna. Andrey was created HSH Prince in 1815 and settled there in the end, converting to Catholicism. It was alleged that he had a role in the murders of Gustav III of Sweden and Paul I of Russia. He was architect of the Second Partition of Poland. He is remembered for his patronage of the arts, especially of the composer Ludwig van Beethoven: Beethoven both wrote the Razumovsky Quartets (Op. 59 Nos. 1, 2, and 3) for Andrey, and dedicated the 5th and 6th Symphonies to him.

Sold

estimated
25.00050.000 €
Price realized
45.000 €