159
Breguet
Ref. 3441BA/82/A95DDDD
Marine
An attractive special order yellow gold, diamond and ruby-set wristwatch with center seconds, date and baguette diamond-set bracelet
Full-Cataloguing
- Special order timepiece set with rubies and baguette diamonds
- Overall carat weight of approximately 26.5 carats
- Such timepieces were always offered "off catalog" to the very best and most exclusive clients
The 1990s and 2000s were a very creative and productive period for brands such as Breguet, Vacheron Constantin, and Audemars Piguet, to name a few examples. With an increased interest in watchmaking globally, many new clients came to the market during this period, particularly from the Far East, commissioning lavish and opulent pieces, giving the watchmaking industry the very strong boost it needed. These special orders were usually high-complication pieces, embellished with gemstones, and often offered as a set, decorated with diamonds, sapphires, rubies, and emeralds.
The present Marine by Breguet was most probably made upon special order for a distinguished client in the 1990s, given the lavish nature of the gem setting. It is set with 221 diamonds for an approximate weight of 26.5 carats, giving immense presence on the wrist. Baguette diamonds are notoriously difficult to work with, as each stone has to be carefully selected to match the others. Here, the watch is given the full lavish treatment. Baguette stones are extravagantly set on the bezel, caseband, lugs, even the side of the lugs, and bracelet. One can only imagine for whom the watch was destined. Given the costly and sumptuous nature of the timepiece, one can only surmise that it was originally intended for a member of a royal family or a larger-than-life personality. In fact, research shows that the retail price in the 1990s was over £500,000, which, with inflation, would be around £1 million today, attesting to the prestige of this watch.
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.