Description: Gilt brass, front wound, souscription movement of the second intermediate type, three armed balance with old type temperature compensation, no parachute. Ruby cylinder escapement, with escape underneath the dial. Plate engraved with signature and number oriented opposite of each other, which is rather typical of this version. Enamelled copper dial with small Arabic numbers outside of the chapter ring, NO actual signature on the dial, but secret signature engraved below 12 ‘Souscription, No. 447, Breguet’. Original blued steel hand with smooth bump at the edge. Later silver case with gold hinges (mid 19th century, probably of American manufacture) with guilloched back.
Additional Info:
This movement retains some earlier attributes like the lack of parachute, the slightly curved balance bridge and the single, straight bridge holding the third and fourth wheel. Other particularities point towards the final version of the souscription watch like the secret signature, the ruby cylinder escapement and the general arrangement of the movement.
There are very few watches with no visible signature on the dial. Most of Breguet’s output not bearing a visible signature on the dial consists of pieces not entirely made in Breguet’s workshop. This watch was most probably partially made in Decombaz’ workshop in Geneva. Decombaz was one of Breguets’s favoured sources for ébauches to finish in-house, or complete watches made to Breguet’s design. Decombaz is known to have provided souscription ébauches to Breguet’s workshop in Paris, as stated in Breguet’s ledgers.
The design of the dial and the font used for the numerals resembles the ones used by Decombaz at the same time period. Thus, it is probable, that the dial was provided with the souscription ébauche. The presence of the secret signature on the dial speaks for the watch being finished in Paris, as the secret signature was only applied in the Breguet workshop.
Retail pieces partially or completely made outside of Breguet’s workshop do not bear a signature on the dial, as was custom for retail pieces also of other contemporary watchmakers. Some pieces of that category are marked as ‘Repassée par’ (finished by). However, starting from 1806, Breguet marked such pieces as ‘Etablissement Mixte’.
Pictures credit: Yves Müller – http://www.visiuns.com
Antiquarian Horology 
