French striking clockwatch with jump hours Circa 1796-1797

Silver and gold grande sonnerie striking clockwatch by Breguet
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A very fine and very rare French silver and gold open faced clockwatch with jump hours and grande sonnerie striking, circa 1796-1797. Made between an 4 and an 5 (1796 to 1797) at a cost of 1,378 Francs. Sold to Monsieur Betancourt, an 6 (1798) for an unspecified sum. Full plate caliber movement, cylindrical pillars, two trains with spring barrels, cylinder escapement, three armed brass balance, blued steel flat balance spring, index regulator, unpierced fourwheel Grande Sonnerie striking train striking on two gongs mounted inside the band, two position milled gold button on the pendant rotated clockwise to allow the striking, anti clockwise to silence the striking. Hinged silver cuvette. White enamel dial with Breguet numerals, outer minute track, slightly offset subsidiary seconds, secret signature below 12 and original blued steel Breguet hands with open points. Gilt metal dial plate signed Breguet No. 88. Polished case by Joly, gold hinge and strike activation/silence button in the pendant. Dial with secret signature, cuvette signed, case with Joly’s mastermark.
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Diameter: 59 mm
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Signed: Breguet
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The Breguet records confirm that this watch was initially delivered in a gold case. However, the repair books remark that in February 1838, when it was returned for overhaul, at the request of Monsieur Mariano de la Pedrueza, it was fitted with a silver case by Breguet. According to the Hallmarks, the case was made after April 1, 1822. Breguet employed a button mounted on the pendant to operate several different forms of striking work on his earliest watches, and it is most likely the precursor for his invention of the pull-twist piston, later used for all the repeating watches. Furthermore, this watch is one of the earliest examples featuring a jump hour hand.