French 18K gold double cased watch with calendar Circa 1832

Gold lever pocket watch
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A very fine and very rare 18 Carat gold French, very small and very slim montre simple, double cased, fermée type, a pocket watch with calendar, built on the principles of the garde-temps, circa 1832. Earl’s Coronet and Duke’s Coronet, Le Comte de Pembroke Breguet, sold to the Count of Pembroke on October 19, 1832, for 5,000 francs. Accompanied by the Breguet Certificate. An engine-turned, setting button in the band, hinged and sprung front cover engraved with a small monogram beneath an Earl’s coronet, the back engraved with a small letter W beneath a Duke’s coronet. Three-body inner case by Tavernier, forme collier, engine-turned, the regulation, hand setting, calendar setting and stop buttons in the band.

Silver dial, engine-turned, eccentric polished chapter with radial Roman numerals and outer dot minute markers, date aperture above 12, regulation lever and index at 1 o’clock balanced with the signature cartouche at 11 o’clock. Gold Breguet hands. A frosted gilt movement, spring barrel with female arbour, jewelled train, detached straight-line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, blued steel arm, flat blued steel balance spring, parachute suspension. Dial signed, both cases numbered, the inner case with Tavernier’s later type workshop mark.
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Diameter: 33 mm
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Thickness: 5 mm
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Signed: Breguet  Paris
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This watch was purchased from Breguet by Robert Herbert, 12th Earl of Pembroke and Montgomery (1791-1862) in 1832. The Earls of Pembroke are one of England’s greatest families whose family home, Wilton House, near Salisbury, is one of the great treasure houses of England. Since 1551, Wilton House has remained in the Herbert family and, though today open to the public, is still the private home of the 18th Earl of Pembroke. Garde-Temps This term was used by Breguet specifically to indicate high-precision watches. A true guarantee of quality, the term could be applied to pieces for scientific use as well as for civilian pieces such as this watch made to the same principles as the garde temps.