Description: Brass calibre for half quarter repeating movement (39.1mm diameter). Engraved wheel, pinion hole and bridge positions. Robin escapement, subsidiary seconds between 3 and 4. The movement of 39.2mm diameter, the watch would have been of 44mm diameter, and made around 1805, 3rd series.
Provenance: Ex. George Brown, thence by decent
Additional Info:
Ref.: Daniels G., The Art of Breguet, Sotheby Parke Bernet, London, 1974, P. 209, Pic. 208 a -c, No. 2187, 3rd series
George Brown
Descendant of Edward Brown of Clerkenwell in England who was foreman in Breguet’s workshop until 1870, when the Breguet firm was passed on to him. The Breguet family then wanted to concentrate on airplanes. In 1927 George Brown took over the helm, the third generation of Browns to run Breguet. He proceeded to run the business until 1970. George Brown was friends with George Daniels, whom he met in the early 1960s. Daniels then progressively became expert in Breguet watches and agent for Breguet in London. George Brown didn’t have access to skillful watchmakers who would be able to produce hand made watches. He turned to George Daniels who had made a replica of a Breguet clock by hand. Brown was impressed by Daniels work and he new of Daniels ambition to make watches too. Daniels turned down the offer to make watches for Breguet, preferring the attribution ‘Daniels of London’ to ‘Breguet of Paris’ for his work.
The Brown family moved the Breguet premisses several times until around 1933, when it was installed at the Place Vendome No. 28. The Brown’s took great care in cherishing the work of the firm’s founder by keeping manuscripts and old unfinished pieces as well as the calibers to make them, some of which are presented here.
Most of these items found their way into several auctions by Patrizzi & Co. and Chayette & Cheval. The manuscripts written by Abraham – Louis Breguet, kept by George Brown in a cardboard box, have been sold at Patrizzi & Co. Geneva for 2.1 Mio $ in May 2010. These are now part of the Breguet Museum in Paris, located Place Vendome 28.
Antiquarian Horology 