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拍品专文
The present watch has, in common with many of Breguet’s watches, a fascinating and illustrious documented history. Breguet's workbook confirms that watch no. 1608 was sold to Princess Murat on 2 June 1806 for 1,800 French Francs. Princess Murat, the former Caroline Bonaparte, was the younger sister of Napoleon and had married Joachim Murat in January 1800. Between 1808 and 1815 the couple were installed as King and Queen of Naples. Caroline Murat is regarded as “the best client Breguet ever had” and it was for her that Breguet famously made the first ever wristwatch. Watch no. 1608 had evidently been ordered so that Caroline’s husband Prince Murat could present it as a token of appreciation to the military chief of the Camp de Boulogne, Captain Yves-Marie Gabriel Le Coat, Baron de Saint-Haouen, later in June 1806. The engraved inscription inside the back cover confirms the gift.
The present watch is particularly well documented in Breguet’s workbooks charting its upgrades and embellishments as fashions changed. The archives state that at the time of its sale in 1806 it had a plain gold case, no. 721 by Amy Gros, and an engine-turned gold dial. In 1831 it is recorded watch no. 1608 was returned and the present “blanc matte” silver dial was fitted. Furthermore, in 1840, the watch was again returned to Breguet where at the request of the then owner the movement and dial were removed from the case, the case was then sent to be engraved outside Breguet’s workshops. Upon completion of the engraving the case was returned to Breguet and the movement and dial put back into the case. It is certainly very unusual that the workshop removed the movement and dial so that the case could be decorated by an outside engraver. This illustrates the level of customer service the house of Breguet has always endeavoured to uphold.
A mechanism found in a number of Breguet's repeaters is the jump hour. The hand stands stationary until about three minutes to the hour when it begins to move. By the time it is half way to the next hour the minute hand will be at the hour and the hour hand will jump the remaining distance to the hour. Mechanically this works because the usual motion work for the hands is dispensed with and the hour hand is mounted on a wheel geared directly to another wheel on the hour snail star wheel. As the hour hand is driven from it the hand jumps with the star wheel to each successive hour.
A further interesting feature of the present watch is the construction used for the hammer to strike the gong, it is Breguet’s most sophisticated. For a detailed note see the following lot in this auction.
His Imperial Highness Prince Joachim-Napoleon Murat, King of Naples (1767 – 1815)
Murat was a Marshall and Admiral of France under Napoleon’s rule. He was styled His Imperial Highness Prince Joachim-Napoleon 1805-1806, Grand Duke of Berg and Cleves between 1806-1808 and King of Naples from 1808-1815. He was noted as a daring, brave and charismatic cavalry officer as well as flamboyant dresser earning him the soubriquet “the Dandy King”. He received his titles in part due to his marriage to the ambitious and very beautiful Caroline Bonaparte, Napoleon’s younger sister. After the fall of Napoleon, Murat was captured and sentenced to be executed on 13th October 1815. When the moment came he said "Soldiers! Do your duty! Straight to the heart but spare the face. Fire!"
Yves-Marie Gabriel Pierre Le Coat, Baron de Saint-Haouen (1756 – 1826)
Was a French Rear Admiral and Chief of Staff of Admirals Latouche-Tréville and Bruix as well as military chief of the Camp de Boulogne, a base for attacks against England. In 1805, 60,000 men were stationed at the camp. He is best known for having developed a terrestrial and maritime telegraph system, competing with that of Chappe, which has the peculiarity of being the first usable day and night, the Telegraphe Saint-Haouen.
We are indebted to Mr. Emmanuel Breguet for his valuable assistance in researching the present watch.
See: Breguet, Watchmaker to Kings, Thomas Engel, A.L., 1994, p. 46.; Breguet, Watchmaker Since 1775, Emmanuel Breguet, 1997, pp. 223-224.
The present watch is particularly well documented in Breguet’s workbooks charting its upgrades and embellishments as fashions changed. The archives state that at the time of its sale in 1806 it had a plain gold case, no. 721 by Amy Gros, and an engine-turned gold dial. In 1831 it is recorded watch no. 1608 was returned and the present “blanc matte” silver dial was fitted. Furthermore, in 1840, the watch was again returned to Breguet where at the request of the then owner the movement and dial were removed from the case, the case was then sent to be engraved outside Breguet’s workshops. Upon completion of the engraving the case was returned to Breguet and the movement and dial put back into the case. It is certainly very unusual that the workshop removed the movement and dial so that the case could be decorated by an outside engraver. This illustrates the level of customer service the house of Breguet has always endeavoured to uphold.
A mechanism found in a number of Breguet's repeaters is the jump hour. The hand stands stationary until about three minutes to the hour when it begins to move. By the time it is half way to the next hour the minute hand will be at the hour and the hour hand will jump the remaining distance to the hour. Mechanically this works because the usual motion work for the hands is dispensed with and the hour hand is mounted on a wheel geared directly to another wheel on the hour snail star wheel. As the hour hand is driven from it the hand jumps with the star wheel to each successive hour.
A further interesting feature of the present watch is the construction used for the hammer to strike the gong, it is Breguet’s most sophisticated. For a detailed note see the following lot in this auction.
His Imperial Highness Prince Joachim-Napoleon Murat, King of Naples (1767 – 1815)
Murat was a Marshall and Admiral of France under Napoleon’s rule. He was styled His Imperial Highness Prince Joachim-Napoleon 1805-1806, Grand Duke of Berg and Cleves between 1806-1808 and King of Naples from 1808-1815. He was noted as a daring, brave and charismatic cavalry officer as well as flamboyant dresser earning him the soubriquet “the Dandy King”. He received his titles in part due to his marriage to the ambitious and very beautiful Caroline Bonaparte, Napoleon’s younger sister. After the fall of Napoleon, Murat was captured and sentenced to be executed on 13th October 1815. When the moment came he said "Soldiers! Do your duty! Straight to the heart but spare the face. Fire!"
Yves-Marie Gabriel Pierre Le Coat, Baron de Saint-Haouen (1756 – 1826)
Was a French Rear Admiral and Chief of Staff of Admirals Latouche-Tréville and Bruix as well as military chief of the Camp de Boulogne, a base for attacks against England. In 1805, 60,000 men were stationed at the camp. He is best known for having developed a terrestrial and maritime telegraph system, competing with that of Chappe, which has the peculiarity of being the first usable day and night, the Telegraphe Saint-Haouen.
We are indebted to Mr. Emmanuel Breguet for his valuable assistance in researching the present watch.
See: Breguet, Watchmaker to Kings, Thomas Engel, A.L., 1994, p. 46.; Breguet, Watchmaker Since 1775, Emmanuel Breguet, 1997, pp. 223-224.