Unusual French rose gold quarter repeating duplex Circa 1813

Rose gold quarter repeater by Breguet
–
A rare and unusual French 18 carat rose gold open faced quarter repeating keywound duplex watch, circa 1813. Montre à répétition des demi-quarts turque. Made for the Turkish market, delivered to Leroy in Constantinople on 24 April 1813. Gilded brass movement, duplex escapement, plain three armed brass balance, parachute suspension on the pivot, blued steel flat balance spring with bimetallic compensation curb on the regulator, half quarter repeating on two polished steel hammers onto a gong. Gilt cuvette. White enamel dial centred by a gilt sun, Turkish numerals, outer railway minute divisions, secret signature 772 Breguet below 12 o’clock and blued steel Breguet hands. Engine turned case, quarter repeating pull-twist push piece in the pendant. Case No. 308, cuvette signed Breguet No. 772, dial signed Breguet et Fils and with secret signature below 12.

Diameter: 55 mm
–
Signed: Breguet et Fils
–
A superb example of timepieces made by the workshops of Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747-1823) and his successors, widely acknowledged for having set the standard by which all fine watchmaking has been judged ever since. Abraham-Louis Breguet was born in Neuchâtel, Switzerland, but it was in Paris that he spent most of his productive life. No aspect of watchmaking escaped his study, and his inventions were as fundamental to horology as they were varied. His career started with a series of breakthroughs: the development of the successful self winding perpétuelle watches, the introduction of the gongs for repeating watches and the first protection for balance pivots. Louis XVI and his Queen, Marie-Antoinette, were early enthusiasts of Breguet’s watchmaking. Each watch from his workshops demonstrated the latest horological improvements in an original movement, mostly fitted with lever or ruby cylinder escapements that he perfected. Breguet took refuge in Switzerland from the excesses of the French Revolution. He returned to Paris overflowing with the ideas that produced the Breguet balance spring, his first carriage clock (sold to Napoleon Bonaparte), the ‘sympathique’ clock and its dependent watch, the tact watch and finally the tourbillon, patented in 1801. Breguet became the indispensable watchmaker to the scientific, military, financial and diplomatic elites of the age. His timepieces ruled the courts of Europe. For his most celebrated clients, Breguet designed exceptional timepieces. For Caroline Murat, queen of Naples, conceived in 1810 the world’s very first wristwatch. Honours saluted his enormous contribution to horology. Appointed to the Board of Longitude and as chronometer maker to the navy, he entered the Academy of Sciences and received the Legion of Honour from the hands of Louis XVIII. When he died in 1823, all mourned the architect of the greatest revolution in the science and art of timekeeping.