Lot 155

Signed Breguet à Paris, Movement No. 114, 54 mm, 111 g, circa 1810
An unusual and very fine gold enamel verge pocket watch with quarter repeater, studded with paste stones
Case: 18k gold, rear bell. Dial: enamel. Movm.: full plate movement, keywind, 2 hammers, three-arm brass balance.
An exceptional pocket watch. The front of the bezel is decorated with paste stones, the back with a high oval medallion with polychrome enamel painting of a dog and two doves in an Egyptian landscape setting with palm tree and pyramids in the background, also decorated with paste stones. A lavishly ornamented vase with paillon decoration in the centre, the background with engine-turned pattern and cobalt blue enamelling. Opaque black frame with blue paillon flowers.
The subject is extremely unusual and dates from Napoleon’s first Egyptian campaigns (1798-1801).
Forgeries of A. L. Breguet watches 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 of 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 not made by Breguet.

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