111st Auction

2024/11/16

Lot 302

Breguet
Asprey & Co.

A very fine, heavy quarter repeating pocket watch with four-colour gold decoration

Sold

estimated
3.5008.500 €
Price realized
10.900 €
specific features
Case
18 K gold, the rim with grape decoration, the back with guilloche pattern and applied trophies of war.
Dial
Gold, guilloche pattern, floral decoration in four-colour gold..
Movement
Bridge movement, keywind, 2 hammers, 2 gongs, shock protection-"parachute", club-tooth lever escapement, three-arm brass balance, blued hairspring with bimetallic compensation curb on the index.
Diam.63 mm
Circa1815
Ctry.France
Wt.157 g


Breguet was the best and the most renowned watchmaker of his time. He was also a most sought-after victim of counterfeiting, which made him create a secret signature to distinguish his authentic works from the forgeries. A large number of counterfeit watches with Breguet's forged signature were produced during his life time and even after his death. Most of these watches were of poor quality or not even of a type ever produced by Breguet. Fakes often appear to be or genuine Breguet origin; but to the eyes of a connoisseur, the quality and technical details make the forgery glaringly obvious. However, this is an exceptionally rare watch of very high quality even if it was probably not made by Breguet.
Provenance: Ahrens Collection