Swiss gold quarter repeater with cylinder escapement Circa 1810

Gold open faced cylinder pocket watch
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A fine and rare Swiss, 18 Carat gold quarter repeating pocket watch with cylinder escapement, circa 1810. Made in the style of Breguet. An Empire case, master mark IE, polished, engine-turned band. Gilt metal cuvette. Silver dial, polished chapter ring with radial Roman numerals, outer dot minute indexes, engine-turned centre, eccentric applied annular subsidiary seconds dial between 3 and 4 o’clock. Blued steel Breguet hands.
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A gilt movement, standing barrel, steel cylinder escapement, three arm gold balance, pare-chute on the top pivot, the escapement jewelled, flat blued steel balance spring, bimetallic temperature compensation curb on the index regulator, all or nothing repeating with a single hammer on a square section gong activated by a pull-and twist piston in the pendant. Cuvette signed Repee par Breguet, case punched with master mark IE.
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Diameter: 53 mm
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Signed: No Name
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This very interesting watch is almost identical to a third series Breguet quarter repeating watch of about 1810. The maker of this watch was highly skilled and very familiar with Breguet watches, the fact that it was finished by Breguet and the cuvette inscribed as such shows that the watch was of high enough quality to attract Breguet’s interest. It is known that in order to fill the growing demand for his watches, Breguet purchased fine watches made by others, finished them to his requirements, and sold them at a lower price than watches entirely made in his workshop.
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The master mark IE punched on the inside of the back cover shows that the case of the present watch was made in Switzerland. This case maker made many cases for Piguet & Meylan in Geneva. The use of a steel cylinder, although high quality, rather than a ruby cylinder at this date, is another indication that the watch is Swiss-made. It is probable that the watchmaker knew Breguet well; he was perhaps one of the talented Swiss watchmakers that he had met during his exile in Switzerland during 1794 and 1795.