French gold astronomical watch with perpetual calendar Circa 1960

Gold watch with complications by Breguet
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A fine French gold astronomical watch with a perpetual calendar, retrograde date, up and down indicator, equation of time and aperture for moon phases, circa the 1960’s. This watch showcases an 18”’ nickel movement with a lever escapement, jewelled to the center, a compensation balance, and the calendar and equation work attributed to Golay & Aubert. The backplate is inscribed with the signature Breguet and is numbered 4377. The silver guilloché dial features multiple contrasting engine turned finishes, a satin finished chapter ring, Roman numerals, an outer minute ring, three sectors for power reserve, an equation of time and a retrograde date. It includes a subsidiary month dial at the center, an aperture for moon phases with age above, blued steel hands, and two silvered plaques bearing the signature Breguet. It is numbered 4377.
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The 18 carat gold case has rounded polished bezels, a polished hinged back, a milled band with two recessed pushers for adjusting moon phases and calendars, a gold pendant and bow, and a plain polished cuvette signed and numbered Breguet, no. 4377. The case back bears the maker’s mark JC with a crescent moon above and star below within a lozenge shaped cartouche, along with French control marks.
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Diameter: 51 mm
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Signed: Breguet
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The movement is running, and the power reserve is registering as the watch is wound. The calendar appears to be advancing correctly; tested through June, the watch correctly advanced from 30 June to 1 July, with smooth retrograde action. The equation of time indication also appears to be operational and the moon phases are advancing as well. The dial is generally in good overall condition, with a few very light and minor scratches visible under magnification. The case is good with scratching around the opening lips and a scratch to the cuvette.
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The movement of the present watch uses an ébauche with a calendar and equation work attributed to Léon Aubert and his apprentice and successor, Paul-Auguste Golay. They were two of the finest makers of calendar complications. Aubert invented a mechanism for displaying the equation of time around 1895 and provided mechanisms for the display to Victorin Piguet and Patek Philippe. One of the watches they worked on was Patek Philippe No. 198.023, a double dialled astronomical pocket watch with a sky chart made for James Ward Packard of Warren, Ohio. Aubert was also responsible for the calendar and astronomical indications of the Dent Ultra Complication, which was formerly in the present watch collection.
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Although the present watch (no. 4377) does not appear in the record books of Breguet, it seems that it was produced and intended for them. The reason why it was not finally delivered to or sold by Breguet is unknown. At the time of its appearance at the Art of Breguet auction held at Antiquorum Geneva in 1991, it was noted that the watch was completed in May 1977. However, no citation was given for that date. An almost identical watch, numbered 5026 and signed Breguet, is illustrated in C. Clutton & G. Daniels, Watches. No. 5026 was owned by Sam Bloomfield, a well-known collector of pocket watches, a friend of George Daniels and the owner of the third watch Daniels ever made. Given that watch no. 5026 was in the possession of Sam Bloomfield by 1965, it seems likely that production of the present watch commenced in the 1960s.