Hands On: Breguet Equation of Time Pocket Watch No. 2492
A rare Breguet pocket watch with retrograde perpetual calendar and equation of time illustrates the evolution of the house from its founder’s era to the early 20th century, blending historical motifs with modern concessions. Made in 1932, Breguet No. 2492 is one of just four known examples from a series of equation of time movements produced over nearly five decades by the legendary workshops of Victorin Piguet. In short, it’s a watch with one foot in the 19th century and one in the early 20th. The transitional nature of the watch evidently resonated with collectors, as the watch recently sold for CHF241,300 at Phillips’ Geneva auction in November, some 20% above its high estimate. Context It might be surprising, but Abraham-Louis Breguet’s unexpected death in 1823 had no immediate effect on the firm’s output. The firm produced well over a hundred watches each year, which required a staff of skilled workers, as well as A.-L. Breguet’s family, who understood what a Breguet watch was, and could build one without being managed by the man himself. However, with the old guard’s retirement, and general decline of Parisian watchmaking, things slowly changed. After the Breguet family sold the firm in the late 19th century, turning instead to the more lucrative business of aviation, the firm’s output strayed from A.-L. Breguet’s vision, abandoning Breguet’s signature design language for a medley of styles catering to specific markets. During this time, the brand...
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