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Sotheby's Masterworks of Time: Abraham Louis Breguet, Horologist Extraordinaire

From tomorrow June 3 until June 16, Sotheby's will be presenting a special online sale dedicated to Abraham Louis Breguet. The Breguet No. 2574 (Lot. 27) pocket watch features one of Breguet’s most iconic inventions, the tourbillon. The Breguet No. 60 (Lot 28) is an exceptionally rare self-winding quarter repeating watch with moon phases, day of the week and power reserve.
From tomorrow, June 3, until June 16, Sotheby's will be presenting a special online sale dedicated to Abraham Louis Breguet, one of the greatest watchmakers of all time, with a selection of pieces made during his most important period of work, 1790-1823 (you can read his history and that of the eponymous brand here).

Highlights of this sale include the Breguet No. 2574, a six-minute tourbillon with a Peto Cross detent chronometer escapement, and the Breguet No. 60, a quarter repeating perpetuelle watch.

Breguet No. 2574 pocket watch

Housed in a silver case, the Breguet No. 2574 (Lot. 27) pocket watch features one of Breguet’s most iconic inventions, the tourbillon. Invented in 1795 and patented in 1801, the tourbillon compensates for the effects of gravity by suspending the escapement in a revolving carriage. Thus its position constantly changes, averaging out the fluctuations in rate caused by gravity and leading to a more precise timepiece. Breguet went on to build tourbillons whose carriages rotated at different speeds, including the one-minute tourbillon, the four-minute tourbillon, and the six-minute tourbillon, as seen here.

While he utilised several types of escapements in his tourbillons, Breguet frequently used the Peto-cross escapement, as found in the present watch. The English maker, James Peto named his cross-detent escapement after himself in 1784 in order to avoid confusion with Thomas Earnshaw’s patented spring detent escapement. While Earnshaw designed his escapement with the impulse device and passing spring on the same side, the Peto-cross escapement puts these elements on opposite sides at an 180 degree angle. The Peto-cross escapement offers an advantage for tourbillons since the detent remains in tension, so it can withstand the strain of locking the escapement.

Breguet No. 2574 pocket watch

Lastly, the balance in the this pocket watch rotates at an exceptional rate of 21,600 vibrations per hour. While many comparable pieces at the time normally rotated at 14,000-18,0000 per hour, the higher rate seen here results in a balance less affected by the inherent movement of the watch while being worn, and therefore leads to greater accuracy. While normally this would have meant the use of a stronger mainspring, Breguet avoided this by slowing down the rotation of his tourbillon carriages to four minutes, or six minutes.

Breguet No. 2574 pocket watch

Breguet sold this timepiece in 1816 to Sir Thomas Makdougall Brisbane (1773-1860) which became the Governor of New South Wales in Australia from 1821 to 1825. The Brisbane town was named after him. Upon his return to Scotland in 1825, he established the Makerstoun observatory, where astronomers began making important magnetic observations in 1841. These results gained him the Keith prize from the Royal Society of Edinburgh in 1848. In 1836, he became a baronet, and was awarded two gold medals for the encouragement of scientific research.

Breguet No. 2574 pocket watch

The estimate of this exceptional piece of watchmaking history is CHF 300,000 - 500,000.

The Breguet No. 60 (Lot 28) is an exceptionally rare self-winding quarter repeating watch with moon phases, day of the week and power reserve.

Breguet No. 60 pocket watch

Breguet No. 60 pocket watch

Thanks to his acute perception for mechanics and commercial instinct for business, Abraham-Louis Breguet understood that the self-winding watch or, as he called it, the perpetuelle was the key to fame.

Breguet’s solution was in part achieved by incorporating two mainsprings wound together by a heavy platinum weight pivoted at the edge of the movement. His banking springs, which were placed at each end of the pendulum-form weight’s arc of motion, had particularly flexible ends which helped to maximise the weight’s motion.

Breguet No. 60 pocket watch

Breguet No. 60 pocket watch

The estimate for this 55 mm gold pocket watch with silver engine-turned dial and engine-turned case back is CHF 200,000 - 300,000.

Breguet No. 60 pocket watch

This auction will be an online-only sale taking place from 3-16 June with lots beginning to close at 16:00 CEST. All successful buyers will be contacted to discuss options for shipment and collection of property.

You can browse the full catalogue of the sale here.

Sotheby's
Masterworks of Time: Abraham Louis Breguet, Horologist Extraordinaire
Online Auction: 3-16 June 2020

COMMENTS

Name

A. Lange & Sohne,145,Accutron,1,AkriviA,11,Alain Silberstein,4,alarm,18,Alpina,19,Andersen Geneve,2,Andersmann,2,Andreas Strehler,5,Angelus,6,annual calendar,44,Anonimo,15,Anthony de Haas,2,Antiquorum,4,Antoine Martin,2,Antoine Preziuso,1,Apple,2,Apple Watch,2,Aquadive,2,Aquastar,1,Armin Strom,82,Arnold and Son,27,Artime,1,Astarwatch,1,Atelier de Chronometrie,1,Ateliers deMonaco,2,Atmos,1,Auctions,94,Audemars Piguet,97,Autodromo,1,automaton,2,BA111OD,1,Ball Watch,1,Bamford,2,Baselword 2022,1,Baselworld,8,BaselWorld 2013,50,BaselWorld 2014,53,Baselworld 2015,69,Baselworld 2016,27,Baselworld 2017,64,Baselworld 2018,75,Baselworld 2019,41,Baselworld 2020,2,Baume,4,Baume & Mercier,19,Baume et Mercier,72,Beaubleu,1,Bell & Ross,41,Berneron,1,Bernhard Lederer,5,Bernhard Zwinz,1,bespoke,1,Blancpain,100,blue dial,3,Bonhams,2,Bovet,14,Brands histories,1,Breguet,132,Breitling,74,Bremont,1,Bremont Watch Company,4,Breva,2,bronze,28,Bücherei,1,Bucherer,1,Bulgari,122,Bulova,2,Burberry,1,C3H5N3O9,1,carbon,4,carillon,4,Carl F. Bucherer,4,Carl Suchy,1,Carrera,20,Cartier,49,ceramic,24,Certina,13,Chanel,5,Chaumet,3,chiming hour,15,Chopard,42,Christiaan van der Klaauw,2,Christie's,9,Christophe Claret,5,Christopher Ward,15,chronograph,790,chronometer,42,Chronoswiss,6,Cimier,1,Citizen,6,co-axial,1,column-wheel,9,complete calendar,29,complications,91,concept watch,5,Concord,1,constant-force,39,Corum,18,Credor,2,CSEM,1,Cuervo y Sobrinos,1,Cyrus,37,Czapek,8,Dan Niederer,1,Davosa,1,Daytona,8,De Bethune,30,de Grisogono,3,dead seconds,21,Delma,2,detent escapement,4,DeWitt,9,digital display,1,dive watches,98,diving,8,diving watches,417,double regulator,3,Doxa,40,drei,1,dress watches,542,dual time,108,Ebel,2,Eberhard,35,Edouard Koehn,8,Edox,6,El Primero,43,Emile Chouriet,1,Emmanuel Bouchet,1,Emmanuel Breguet,1,enamel dial,14,enamelling,16,Equation of time,10,ETA,1,Eterna,18,exhibitions,1,F.P.Journe,40,Faberge,2,factory tours,3,Favre-Leuba,1,feature article,93,features,128,Felipe Pikullik,2,Ferdinand Berthoud,8,flyback,64,Fondation de la Haute Horlogerie,1,Formex,1,Fortis,9,Franc Vila Founder,1,Franck Muller,8,Frederic Jouvenot,1,Frederique Constant,22,Furlan Marri,1,FVF,1,Gallet,1,Garrick,1,Geneva Watchmaking Grand Prix,8,Georg Jensen,1,George Daniels,4,Gerald Charles,2,Gerald Genta,13,Girard-Perregaux,48,Glashuette,19,Glashuette Original,96,Glashütte,33,Glashütte Original,129,Glycine,4,GMT,142,GoS,1,GoS Watches,1,GPHG,23,GPHG 2020,3,GPHG 2021,3,GPHG 2022,3,GPHG 2023,3,GPHG 2024,3,GPHG2019,1,Graham,6,Grand Feu,7,Grand Prix d’Horlogerie de Geneve,17,Grand Seiko,36,Grande Complication,28,Grande Sonnerie,9,Greubel Forsey,40,greubelforsey,1,Grøne,1,Gronefeld,10,Grönefeld,8,Grossmann,3,guilloché,8,H. Moser and Cie,51,H20 Watch,1,Habring,10,Habring2,11,Hajime Asaoka,2,Hallmark of Geneva,2,Hamilton,38,hands-on,136,Hanhart,22,Harry Winston,11,Hautlence,6,Hermes,26,Heuer,2,high jewellery,2,high-frequency,5,Hublot,66,Hybris Artistica,1,Hydro Mechanical Horologists,7,HYT Watches,16,Icon,1,In pictures,18,independent watchmaker,39,industry news,245,interview,9,Interviews,9,IWC,176,Jacques Bianchi,1,Jaeger-LeCoultre,130,Jaquet Droz,58,Jean-Francois Mojon,1,Jean-Marc Pontroué,1,JeanRichard,3,jumping hours,38,Junghans,12,Kaj Korpela,1,Kari Voutilainen,11,Kazuo Maeda,1,Kenissi,1,Kollokium,1,Korpela,1,Krayon,4,Kudoke,6,Kurono,2,L.Leroy,1,L'Epee 1839,2,Labails,1,Ladies watches,198,Lang & Heyne,4,Lang 1943,1,Lange,54,large date,3,Laurent Ferrier,26,Laureus,2,Le Garde Temps,1,Lederer Watches,5,Leica,3,Lemania,1,Leroy,4,Linde Werdelin,2,Longines,104,Louis Erard,35,Louis Moinet,8,Louis Vuitton,3,luxury steel watch,31,LVMH,10,LVMH 2020,6,M.A.D.Edition,5,M.A.D.Editions,5,Maîtres du Temps,1,Manufacture Contemporaine du Temps,3,Manufacture Royale,3,Marc Lang,1,marine chronometer,2,Marqueterie,1,Maurice de Mauriac,2,Maurice Lacroix,28,MB&F,73,MCT,1,MeisterSinger,99,meteorite,3,metiers d'art,3,Mickey Mouse,2,Mido,68,military watches,14,Minerva,4,Ming,2,Minute Repeater,62,monopusher chronograph,5,Montblanc,58,moon phases,135,Moritz Grossmann,31,Moser,46,Muhle,6,Mühle-Glashütte,5,mystery watches,4,Nautilus,14,New Britain Corp,1,new watches,3868,Nivada,3,Nomos,82,Norqain,32,Ochs und Junior,6,Officine Panerai,109,Omega,203,Only Watch,15,Only Watch 2015,4,Only Watch 2017,2,Only Watch 2019,3,Only Watch 2021,4,Only Watch 2023,10,Oris,44,paillonne,1,Panerai,112,Parmigiani,17,Parmigiani Fleurier,36,Pascal Coyon,1,Patek,62,Patek Philippe,139,Pedrozo & Piriz,1,perpetual calendar,155,Perrelet,12,Petermann Bedat,3,Phenomen,1,Philippe Dufour,1,Phillips,10,Piaget,41,Pierre DeRoche,2,pilot,1,pilot watch,115,Pininfarina,1,Pisa,17,Pisa 1940,5,Pisa Circle,13,Pita,1,planetarium,3,platinum,8,pocket watch,4,pocket watches,2,Poehlmann-Bresan,2,Poincon de Geneve,2,Porsche Design,17,Pre-SIHH 2016: Cartier - Clé de Cartier Automatic Skeleton,1,pulsometer,5,Purnell,1,quartz,11,Rado,20,Ralf Tech,3,Ralph Lauren,2,rattrapante,26,Raul Pages,2,Raymond Weil,5,rectangular watches,16,reddot award,1,regatta,3,regulator,31,remontoire,5,Remy Cools,1,Renaud Tixier,1,Reservoir,2,resonance,22,Ressence,13,retrograde,10,Revelation,1,Reverso,27,review,138,RGM,1,RGM Watch Co.,1,Richard Mille,119,Richemont,4,Richmond,1,Roger Dubuis,12,Roger Smith,1,Roger W. Smith,1,Rolex,72,Romain Gauthier,13,Romain Jerome,1,Royal Oak,40,Rudis Sylva,1,sapphire,4,Schwarz Etienne,1,Seamaster,10,Seiko,41,SevenFriday,26,SIHH,3,SIHH 2012,4,SIHH 2013,25,SIHH 2014,36,SIHH 2015,43,SIHH 2016,44,SIHH 2017,41,SIHH 2018,43,SIHH 2019,53,Simon Brette,2,Singer,7,Singer Reimagined,11,single hand,33,single-hand watches,40,Sinn,16,skeleton,36,smartwatch,9,solar energy,1,Sotheby's,8,Speake Marin,6,Speake-Marin,6,Speedmaster,38,split seconds,27,sport,1,sport watches,1004,sportwatches,1,Spring Drive,3,square watches,4,squelette,61,steampunk,1,Steinhart,1,Strehler,1,striking time,16,SuisseMecanica,1,sunrise,2,sunset,2,Swatch,9,Swatch Group,24,Sylvain Pinaud,2,table clocks,4,Tag Heuer,187,tantalum,1,technical insight,3,terra Cielo Mare,1,Theo Auffret,1,tides,1,Tiffany,17,Tissot,10,titanium,12,top news,461,Torsti Laine,1,tourbillon,387,Trilobe,4,Tudor,40,Tulloch,1,Tutima,3,ultra thin,36,Ulysse Nardin,40,Unimatic,1,Union Glashutte,15,Universal Genève,1,Urban Jurgensen,29,Urwerk,22,Vacheron Constantin,83,Van Cleef & Arpels,7,Vauchier Fleurier,1,Vianney Halter,6,video,1,vintage watches,3,Vulcain,11,wandering hours,1,watches,1,Watches & Wonders,42,Watches & Wonders 2020,19,Watches & Wonders 2021,28,Watches & Wonders 2022,35,Watches & Wonders 2023,38,Watches & Wonders 2024,47,Watches & Wonders 2025,2,Watches&Wonders,10,WatchesandWonders2022,35,WatchesandWonders2023,39,WatchesandWonders2024,48,WatchesandWonders2025,2,Wilhelm Schmid,1,Winnerl,1,worldtime,61,YEMA,5,Zannetti,1,Zeitwerk,2,Zeitwinkel,1,Zenith,115,Zodiac,9,
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Time and Watches | The watch blog: Sotheby's Masterworks of Time: Abraham Louis Breguet, Horologist Extraordinaire
Sotheby's Masterworks of Time: Abraham Louis Breguet, Horologist Extraordinaire
From tomorrow June 3 until June 16, Sotheby's will be presenting a special online sale dedicated to Abraham Louis Breguet. The Breguet No. 2574 (Lot. 27) pocket watch features one of Breguet’s most iconic inventions, the tourbillon. The Breguet No. 60 (Lot 28) is an exceptionally rare self-winding quarter repeating watch with moon phases, day of the week and power reserve.
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