French rare imitation of a quarter repeating watch Circa 1805

Gold open faced pocket watch by Breguet et fils
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A very fine and rare imitation of a French quarter repeating watch of the premiére classe with jumping hour hand, circa 1805. This pocket watch features a signed 18-carat rose gold engine turned case with a collier design, a reeded band, a gold dome, and a pusher for repetition via a pull-twist piston through the pendant. The engraved gold engine-turned dial is signed Breguet et fils and displays radial Roman numerals and blued Breguet hands. The bridge movement is keywind, frosted, and gilt. It includes two hammers, two gongs, shock protection in the form of a parachute, a ruby cylinder escapement, a three-arm brass balance, and a blued balance spring with a bimetallic compensation curb on the index.

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Diameter: 59 mm
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Weight: 130 g
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Signed: Breguet et fils
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Breguet was an exceptional watchmaker widely recognized as the best of his time. Unfortunately, he was also a frequent target of counterfeiters. To protect his authentic works from forgeries, he created a secret signature to distinguish them from the fake ones. During and after his lifetime, numerous counterfeit watches with Breguet’s forged signature were produced. However, most of these watches were of poor quality or not even similar to those produced by Breguet. Though some fakes may appear genuine, the quality and technical details usually make the forgery obvious to a connoisseur. Nevertheless, this is an exceptionally rare, high-quality watch, even if Breguet did not make it.