Large French Gilt Quarter Repeater

A large and very attractive French watch with verge escapement, quarter repeat and beautiful skeletonised dial.

MOVEMENT : A gilt movement with verge escapement. Nicely pierced balance bridge and fine engraving to the top plate, mainspring barrel and balance bridge. Jewel endstone. Small blued steel regulator disk.

The movement is complete and in original condition, tjough with some tarnishing in places.
The hour/quarter repeating function is activated by pushing down the stem. The repeat steel hammers strike two gongs, with one chime for the hours and two for the quarters.

Running well and repeating correctly.

DIAL : A beautiful gilt dial with white enamel hour cartouches and thin enamel minutes chapter ring. Skeletonised to centre, through a fine gilt pierced glazed screen showing two figures in a classical scene. The internal crystal is drilled to allow the hands to be set from the centre.

Signed BREGUET A PARIS.

Some light hairlines so some cartouches but no chips or repairs.

Matching gilt hands.

CASE : Substantial silver case, with sprung gilt cuvette signed :

Breguet a Paris.

A small slide on the case band near the stem should allow the repeat to be disabled (not working).

The case is in good condition, with the cuvette, front bezel and back all snapping shut correctly. The crystal is fine. The stem and bow are fine and are original.

Like many watches of this period, it is signed ‘Breguet’ but it is not by Abraham Louis Breguet, and was probably made in France, though could be Switzerland.