French extremely rare “Montre à Tact” pocket watch Circa 1824

Open faced pocket watch by Breguet “Horloger de La Marine Royale”
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A French extremely rare, very fine gentleman’s “Montre à Tact” – with original numbered silk lined Morocco case and spare glass, circa 1824. Sold on 26th February 1824 to Comte Hunyady for 2800 Francs.
18 Carat gold and silver, engine turned, à goutte case with numbered and signed gold cuvette, case maker’s punch mark “MAB”, silver band with raised gold touch studs and the back cover with applied “à tact” gold arrow. Silver engine turned dial with radial Roman numerals on peripheral chapter ring, motto on reverse side: “Nomina vanitatis leguntur ubique locuram – Ditti certus” and gold Breguet hands. Bridge movement, key wind, frosted, gilt, with early lever escapement and bi metallic gold screw balance.
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Diameter: 42 mm
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Weight: 61 g
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Signed: Breguet
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József János Nepomuk Antal Zsigmond Count Hunyady of Kéthely (1801-1869)
Josef Count of Hunyady or Comte Hunyady was “Erster Obersthofmeister” (head of the emperor’s household and the highest post at court) at the imperial court of Empress Elizabeth in Vienna. Hunyady was the son of Hungarian János Hunyady de Kéthely (1773-1821) – who became a Hungarian count in 1792 and was ennobled as an imperial count in 1797 – and his wife Franziska Countess Pálffy de Erdõd (1772-1827).
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On October 1, 1825 Hunyady married Henriette Princess of Liechtenstein in Vienna; she was the daughter of Austrian field marshal Johann I Josef of Liechtenstein (1760-1836) and his wife Josefa Countess of Fürstenberg-Weitra (1776-1848). Hunyady’s daughter Karoline (1836-1907), wife of Otto Count of Walterskirchen, was a lady at the imperial court and a close confidante of the young empress.