The present Breguet Souscription set launched in 1991 was set out to be produced in a limited series of 300 pieces only as a celebration of more than 200 years of the brand, the pair originally consists of a ref. 3430 perpetual calendar wristwatch with minute repeater, and a 62mm perpetuelle pocket watch that spanned across four metals: platinum, 18K pink, white and yellow gold like the present example.

Known as ref. 1890, the present pocket watch is a modern interpretation of Breguet’s late 18th-century perpetuelle watches. Among the originals, the most celebrated is No. 5, sold in 1794 to a French nobleman and now frequently exhibited by the Breguet Museum.

In the 1990s, Breguet remained a relatively modest enterprise under Investcorp’s ownership, producing fewer than 4,000 watches annually. Manufacture of the ref. 1890 was entrusted to Michel Parmigiani, one of the few watchmakers to have successfully restored a 19th-century Breguet Sympathique clock capable of winding and setting a paired pocket watch.

Though often described as a replica, the ref. 1890 is more accurately a reinterpretation. While it shares the hammer-winding mechanism of the original perpetuelle, it omits the minute repeater complication and introduces modern refinements. The platinum delta-shaped rotor, mounted on sapphire rollers and connected to a serpentine steel arm, is both technically sophisticated and visually striking. The symmetrical sprung bumper and parachute shock absorbers on both pivots further elevate its mechanical elegance.

With its impressive 62mm case diameter, the movement is displayed in full splendour, allowing every detail of its architecture and finishing to be admired. Numbered 9 of a limited edition of 300 pieces, the present 18K yellow gold example is offered in excellent condition and accompanied by a gold chain.