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Rare Breguet watches featured at the “Geneva Watch Auction: Seven”
The auction conducted by Phillips in association with Bacs & Russo took place on 12-13 May, 2018 in Geneva. The Breguet Museum and its President, Marc A. Hayek, acquired two diving watches at the Phillips sale to enrich the wide range of historical Breguet watches on show in its Paris and Zurich museums, as well as in their Shanghai counterpart. Notably, Lot 230, the 1963 diver’s watch, one of the rarest dive watches to be produced (estimated at CHF 40,000 – 80,000, sold at CHF 131,250) and Lot 272, a very rare 1978 diver’s flyback chronograph with rotating bezel (estimated at CHF 20,000 – 40,000 and sold for CHF 62,500).
Rare Breguet watches featured at the “Geneva Watch Auction: Seven”
Some other rare Breguet timepieces were among the auction lots and hit record sales results, notably the Type XX wristwatches.
Breguet Type XX, one of the most iconic watches of the second half of the 20th century
The chronograph Type XX is the best-known of all timepieces developed by Breguet to answer the requirements of aviation. The Maison Breguet began developing its first wrist chronographs in 1935. Twenty or so years later, it launched production of the Type XX in response to a commission from the French government: the famous chronograph was to equip the French Air Force and French Fleet Air Arm up to the early 1980s. These watches remained the property of the state and were issued to pilots personally only under exceptional circumstances. The Type XX proved so successful that the Manufacture interpreted it in a civilian version. Sometimes equipped with a time totalizer, and invariably with a retour en vol function (flyback), the Type XX is available with slight variations which are a source of delight to collectors.
The Type XX can be divided into three generations: the first, from the 1950s and 60s, can be recognized by its brushed steel case and its slightly curved lugs, while the second, from the 1970s and 80s, has a slightly heavier polished steel case with squarer lugs. The third generation, launched in 1995, is distinguished externally by its case with fluted caseband, and unlike its two predecessors, is equipped with a self-winding movement.
Lot 122, a 1955 Breguet Type XX in yellow gold
The military examples of Type XX were manufactured in stainless steel, and only three models in gold were produced by Breguet, as a special and exclusive edition for a very select clientele. This lot sold for CHF 200,000, with an initial estimate of CHF 40,000-60,000. A second known example is exhibited in the Breguet Museum in Paris.
Lot 119, a 1952 Breguet pre-Type XX model in stainless steel
This elegant watch sold to aircraft manufacturer (and descendant of Abraham-Louis Breguet) Louis Breguet in 1953, two years before the delivery of the first Type XX to the French government, set the codes of the future Type XX such as syringe hands, large luminous Arabic numerals and grooved rotating bezel. Additionally, this Breguet flyback chronograph n° 1164 features an unusual vibrant black glossy dial. The watch sold for CHF 102,500, with an initial estimate of CHF 25,000-50,000.
Lot 120, a 1955 military Type XX stainless steel watch on a Nato strap
This watch is part of the exceptionally rare issued watches to survive in such good condition. To keep the readability of the watch, the dial did not display any information such as the brand or the model name. Only the caseback was engraved with Breguet, Type 20, 5101/54. This is a fine example of a very rare and attractive stainless steel military chronograph wristwatch with black dial. Estimated at CHF 12,000 – 18,000, it was sold for CHF 43,750.
Lot 121, a 1965 Type XX flyback chronograph in stainless steel
It features one of the least commonly seen and most aesthetically striking details to ever appear on this model: a tachymeter scale. This watch is an extremely interesting example of a civilian-issued Type XX. With an initial estimate of CHF 25,000 – 50,000, it sold for CHF 75,000.
Lots 230 & 272 below:
