French gold quarter repeating à toc watch Circa 1792

Gold open faced cylinder watch
–
A very fine and important French, 18K gold pocket watch with independent dead seconds, quarter repeating à toc and ruby cylinder escapement, circa 1792. An early Breguet type by Guillaume Mermillod (master mark), polished, shuttered winding hole, concealed hinge. Gilt-brass dust cap. White enamel dial by F. Cave, Pl. Thionu (5), with Breguet numerals, outer star minute indexes and lozenge quarter-hour indexes, eccentric subsidiary seconds at 2 o’clock, secret signature below 12. Blued steel Breguet hands.

A gilt, three-quarter plate movement, cut away for the standing barrel, overhanging ruby cylinder escapement with parachute suspension, plain three-arm balance, flat blued steel balance spring with bimetallic temperature compensation curb and index regulator, dead seconds and subsidiary seconds wheels mounted above the backplate and driven by a pirouette fitted to the top of the escape wheel pinion, repeating on a block in the case activated by depressing the pendant, centre seconds stop/start lever in the dust cover, regulation and repeat adjustment levers in the dial plate. Dial, cuvette and movement signed.
–
Diameter: 57 mm
–
Signed: Breguet  Paris
–
Breguet watches with independent seconds are very rare, particularly at this early date. This watch can be used as a true chronograph because the additional subsidiary seconds provides constant running seconds and is unaffected by the operation of the centre seconds. The case is the earliest known form of Breguet watchcase, a type that was also used for the early perpétuelles. The present watch was bought back by Breguet and is recorded in the registers as being given to Mr Talma for Recordon (Breguet’s London agent) on 14 Frimaire, An 9 (December 5, 1801).