Maker: |
Breguet |
Model: |
Empire |
Date: |
1955 |
Case: |
35mm. diameter 18ct. yellow gold case with milled coin-edge band, original milled large diameter winding button, snap-on back cover engraved T.A.D.C. 1940 and the case number B1529 on the inside of the cover |
Dial: |
Silver engine-turned dial with the original untouched finish signed BREGUET with 18ct yellow gold Breguet hands and subsidiary seconds |
Hands: |
18ct yellow gold Breguet hands |
Movement: |
Original Peseux observatory-quality movement correctly stamped 1529 |
Strap: |
leather strap |
Price: |
£65,000 |
Info: |
These 35mm. diameter wristwatches by Breguet are extremely rare to find on the market – This example is in stunning condition with the original finish. An identical example with case number 1772, also engraved TADC on the back cover was sold by Phillips auction house in November 2016 for CHF52,500. Another example numbered 1409 with yellow and white gold case was sold by Bonhams, Paris auction in October 2023 for €72,250 - the case is beautiful with a lovely deep coin-edge band, the original winder and perfect lugs. - The case back is engraved TADC for a company called Les Textiles Artificiels which specialised in weaving viscose clothing; the company originally named France-Rayonne was created in 1940, after the war it became TADC for Textiles Artificiels du Centre and eventually it ceased trading in 1989. This watch was presumably bought from Breguet by TADC as a gift to an employee for his or her 15 years of faithful long service. - The dial is perfect and unrestored with the original Breguet gold hands. - The movement is by the little-known but very important company Peseux based on the Peseux 260 movement which was made between 1944 and 1967 – Back when the development of observatory chronometers and occurrence of precision timing competitions in Geneve and Neuchatel were in effect, the Peseux 260 was introduced purely for research purposes. This ebauche made by Peseux S.A. was made exclusively for the Observatory Competitions and supplied to a number of different independent and high-end manufactures as a starting point for their competition entries. Because of this, it is said that watches bearing the Peseux260 were never made available to the public consumer, so over the period of 23 years Peseux produced a little over 3300 movements. This beautiful example comes with a hand-written Emmanuel Breguet certificate No. 4732 which states that this watch is number 1523 and that it was supplied to the company TADC on 25th April 1955 |
