Breguet et Fils, 2354.

A very elegant burr Elm cased carriage clock made by Abraham-Louis Breguet in 1810 with Grand and Petite sonnerie, alarm, and Robin double-lift escapement

A rectangular burr elm veneered case with sliding back door, glazed aperture on the top beneath the folding handle and ormolu bezel with “water-leaf’ decoration.

The white porcelain dial has Arabic Breguet-syle numbers, steel-cut hands and is signed Breguet.

The exceptional 8-day movement has a tandem wind, so it utilizes a barrel with gears at both ends to run the two trains. The winding ratchet is within the wheel so the outer end of the spring drives the barrel and going train and the inner end through the ratchet drives the striking train. The wind and strike selection levers are located under the bezel. The balance platform is mounted with a Breguet version of the Robin detent-lever escapement with jeweled pallets, a 15 toothed escape wheel, a plain brass three-arm balance and a flat balance spring with the regulator. The grand-sonnerie strike-work and the alarm are planted on the backplate and the bell is mounted below. The base of the movement is signed Breguet et Fils, 2354. One of the buttons on top of the case is pulled to load the alarm and the other is pressed for the repeat.

This clock was delivered to Breguet’s agent in Russia, La Maison de Russie, in 1810 and later sold. Sometime later Tsar Alexander I appointed Breguet’s firm as watchmakers to ‘His Majesty and Imperial Navy’.

Breguet et Fils No. 2354, petite pendule a quatre parties consigned to Maison de Russie on 23 April 1810, sold by Moreau on 31 December 1810, for 1800 Francs. Fine and rare burr elm, eight day going, quarter repeating Grande and PetiteSonnerie carriage clock with alarm and special escapement. | Important Watches, Wristwatches and Clocks | Geneva, Hotel Des Bergues, 18th October 1997

In the Antiquorum sale the images of lot 22 and lot 26 are reversed. The description is correct, but the image is of a mahogany example.

For a discussion of Breguet’s version of this escapement see: George Daniel’s book, ‘The Art of Breguet’., pgs 317-320.