Breguet Gold Hunter Cased Repeater

A fine cylinder escapement, repeating pocket watch, by Abraham-Louis Breguet, in a full hunter gold case. Complete with certificate of authenticity produced by Breguet. All in good condition.

MOVEMENT : Quarter repeating, by two polished steel hammers striking two steel gongs.
With a cylinder escapement, three arm gold balance with parachute suspension, spiral steel balance spring with regulator and temperature compensation curb. Jewelled pivots to escape and balance wheels.

The repeat is activated by a pull and twist piston on the side of the case at 4.

In good condition, running and repeating correctly (though the hour strike is a bit weak).

DIAL : Silvered dial, signed “BREGUET” at 6 and with secret signature “Breguet” between 11 and 12. Engine turned engraving to the centre, and subsidiary seconds at 8.

A few very light scratches to the engine turning but in overall very good condition.

Original gold Breguet hands, with blued steel seconds (replacement).

CASE : Gold full hunter case, marked with maker’s mark LS, movement serial no. 155 B and case no.96 S, all on both covers.
The screwed on cuvette is signed Breguet, No. 155, with the maker’s mark LS on the back and apertures to allow winding and regulator adjustment.
Engine turned engraving to both covers and the band, with a small monogram enmgraved to the centre of the back.
The crystal (I think synthetic) has an aperture at the centre to allow adjustment of the hands (the crystal bezel is snap on rather than hinged).

The case is in very good condition, with the usual light surface scratches, but no repairs or dents. There is some even wear to the edges of the engine turned engraving on both covers, and one more noticeable scratch on the cuvette (to the left of the serial number).

The hinges are fine, and the front cover springs open when the stem is pressed. The crystal is fine.

Abraham-Louis Breguet was born in Neuchatel in Switzerland, in 1747 and moved to Paris in 1768. He died in 1823. He was by far the finest watchmaker of his time, an innovator and inventor as well as the maker of fine and beautiful watches.

Breguet’s work was copied and faked probably more than any other watchmaker of the period. This watch is accompanied with a Breguet certificate (No. 4661), provided in 2021 from the Breguet archives in Paris, which describes this watch No. 155. It also shows the original buyer and price.

Madame Janssens, on 30th September, 1836 for 1600 francs

There are two different Breguet watches with the same number B155 registered in the official Breguet archives but this has been explained by the Breguet Museum Archivist :
The earlier B155 watch (now part of permanent Breguet museum exhibition) was sold on July 27, 1812. It belongs to the first series manufactured by Breguet.
This slightly later B155 watch (made around 1814 though not sold until 1836) belongs to the second series.

The case maker’s mark is for Leopold Secheret (often used by the Breguet company).