BREGUET ET FILS | A FINE SILVER "GARDE-TEMPS" POCKET CHRONOMETERBEGUN IN 1823 AND COMPLETED IN 1831, NO.4196

• Movement: gilt-brass three-quarter plate, Earnshaw-type spring detent escapement, bi-metallic compensation balance with large timing screws and parachute suspension, blued steel helical spring, winding square with pipe, going barrel, signed Breguet et Fils, Hgers de la Marine Royale, no.4196, frosted gilt-metal cuvette with winding aperture, signed Breguet Horger de la Marine Royale. no.4196• Dial: silver, two overlapping large dials for time with subsidiary seconds beneath, blued steel hands, signed Breguet et Fils, No.4196• Case: plain silver, gold hinges, case maker's mark LJ (Louis Joly), signed and numbered B, 4196, additionally numbered 525 

Movement: running at time of cataloguing but would probably benefit from a service. Dial: has been clenaed in the past, there are some light scuffs and some tarnishing. Case: tarnished and with light marks and scuffs.
"In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. All dimensions in catalogue descriptions are approximate. Condition reports may not specify mechanical replacements or imperfections to the movement, case, dial, pendulum, separate base(s) or dome. Watches in water-resistant cases have been opened to examine movements but no warranties are made that the watches are currently water-resistant. Please note that we do not guarantee the authenticity of any individual component parts, such as wheels, hands, crowns, crystals, screws, bracelets and leather bands, since subsequent repairs and restoration work may have resulted in the replacement of original parts. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective, qualified opinion. Prospective buyers should also refer to any Important Notices regarding this sale, which are printed in the Sale Catalogue. In particular, please note it is the purchaser's responsibility to comply with any applicable import and export matters, particularly in relation to lots incorporating materials from endangered species.NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF BUSINESS PRINTED IN THE SALE CATALOGUE."

**Please be advised that bands made of materials derived from endangered or otherwise protected species (i.e. alligator and crocodile) are not sold with the watches and are for display purposes only. We reserve the right to remove these bands prior to shipping."

The present lot was begun in 1823 and finished in 1831.  However it remained in Breguet's inventory until circa 1857.  The certificate for Breguet dated 26 August 2019 mentions the sale after 1857. Breguet was appointed “Horloger de la Marine Royale” in 1815, filling a post that had remained vacant since the death of Louis Berthoud two years earlier. Although Breguet had experimented with pocket chronometers as early as 1789, it was after Breguet’s son, Antoine-Louis (1776-1858) had been taken into partnership in 1801 that the development of the firm’s chronometers began in earnest. Abraham-Louis Breguet felt that there was an inherent flaw with the fusee and chain system and developed his own going-barrel form of chronometer movement. This system was developed on the principle of two going barrels, however, examples of the company’s chronometers with a single going barrel, such as found in the present watch, are also known. The present lot also demonstrates how Breguet’s parachute ‘shock protection’ device was incorporated into some of the firm’s chronometer watches in order to protect the balance pivot – an especially useful feature for a precision timekeeper intended for use at sea.