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Breguet
A superb and very well preserved yellow gold triple calendar wristwatch with moonphases
Full-Cataloguing
- Triple calendar with central date hand, moonphases
- A representative of the extremely scarce mid-twentieth century Breguet dress watch production
- Preserved in lovely and unrestored condition
- Offered with the original instruction manual
It is a well-known fact that production of Breguet timepieces in the mid-20th century was extremely limited. Much of the company’s efforts were devoted to producing pocket watches or the famed Type XX wristwatches for military use. Only a handful of non-military wristwatches were produced each year, whether simple time-only models or complicated pieces.
This scarcity, combined with the ineffable elegance of Breguet’s creations from the period, explains why this category of watches is today as sought after as it is difficult to source.
The present example was sold in 1963, as confirmed by the accompanying Breguet Extract from the Archives, which further attests that the watch was originally delivered in its present configuration. This is a charming yet unsurprising detail: the absolutely unrestored and fully original condition makes it immediately apparent to the trained eye that this watch was rarely handled and likely seldom, if ever, serviced. The French import marks—expected, as Breguet had been producing its timepieces in Switzerland since the 1920s—and the engraving on the caseback remain remarkably crisp. Together with only light surface wear, this indicates that the case itself remains in exceptionally unmolested condition.
The documentation accompanying the watch also holds a delightful surprise for the intellectual collector. Most notably, the original instruction leaflet has survived the passage of time and remains present—an occurrence that is virtually unheard of. Unsurprisingly so, as the document consists of a small typewritten sheet on Breguet letterhead with a tiny illustration of the watch, highlighting just how artisanal the firm still was at the time. The document is so inconspicuous that its survival to this day is nothing short of remarkable.
The Extract from the Archives also contains an intriguing detail: it records that the watch was sold to a Mr. Mauroy. Interestingly, a Pierre Mauroy would later serve as Prime Minister of France from 1981 to 1984. While there is no certainty that the original owner and the politician are the same person, Mr. Mauroy was already rising quickly within his political party during the 1960s, eventually becoming its second most influential figure by 1966. It is therefore entirely plausible that a young and ambitious politician, experiencing a rapid ascent in power, might have chosen to reward himself with such an exquisite creation.
Breguet
Swiss | 1775Established in 1775 by Abraham Louis Breguet, widely considered the greatest watchmaker of all time, the storied brand continues to thrive in the modern era, creating exceptional high-end watches as the Swatch Group's premier prestige brand. Some of the most important and lasting inventions in watchmaking are attributed to Abraham Louis Breguet, including the tourbillon, shock resistance and the use of hammers and gongs employed in nearly all minute repeating watches made since.
Eighteenth and nineteenth century Breguet pocketwatches are especially sought-after by collectors, and many of them were made for the elite of European society, including Napoléon and Marie Antoinette. Key wristwatches from the twentieth century include oversized dress watches, two-register chronographs, triple calendars and Type XX aviator's chronographs made for the French military and civilians.