Swiss yellow gold minute repeating lever watch Circa 1926

–
A very rare and elegant yellow gold open faced minute repeating watch with personalized dial, circa 1926. Sold on December 31 1934 to Mrs. de Maublanc for the sum of 8,000 French francs.
Nickel lever movement, 30 jewels, minute repeating on two steel gongs with two steel hammers, silvered dial with personalized indexes reading Edward Haslam, subsidiary seconds, 18k yellow gold case, snap on case back with monogram and engraving of birds perched atop two explorer’s scopes, dial and movement signed.
–
Diameter: 46 mm
–
Signed: Breguet
–
The present lot is a rare example of 20th century minute repeater from Breguet. The watch is further distinguished by bearing the name of the owner, Edward Haslam, as the indexes on the dial, as well as a personalized monogram to the back. Haslam was a pilot for the British Overseas Airway Cooperation and was first officer of an ill fated flight which ended in a crash landing in the Sahara Desert in 1952. The passengers of the flight were able to make their way to an oasis near their crash site, however Haslam died of heat exhaustion shortly thereafter.