Breguet et Fils 60-Hour 'Garde Temps' Marine Chronometer
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
Circa 1830
This boxed marine chronometer signed Breguet et Fils, dating to circa 1830, is reported by the cataloguer to feature a gilded twin-barrel movement with a quick train (18,000 A/h), Earnshaw-type spring detent escapement, and parachute suspension.
The silvered regulator dial displays intersecting chapter rings for minutes and seconds, an off-center subsidiary hour dial with Roman numerals, and a power reserve indicator labeled for state of wind. The shallow brass bowl housing the movement is gimbal-mounted within a two-tier mahogany box.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Type
- Boxed marine chronometer
- Frequency
- 18,000 A/h
- Numbering
- No. 4208
- Escapement
- Earnshaw-type spring detent escapement
- Dial Diameter
- 65 mm
- Maker / attribution
- Breguet et Fils
Design
- Visible features
- • Silvered regulator dial signed 'BREGUET ET FILS' along the lower edge. • Off-center Roman numeral hour track with two intersecting outer tracks for minutes and seconds. • Blued steel hands including a counterpoised seconds hand and power reserve pointer. • Brass bezel secured with screws, held in a brass gimbal ring within a mahogany box.
- Housing and Mounts
- The movement is contained within a shallow, dish-shaped brass case, which is secured by screws and held within a velvet-lined shallow brass bowl using latches at the 12 and 6 o'clock positions. This assembly is mounted via gimbals inside a two-tier mahogany box. The box features side-mounted locking screws, brass handles, and a sliding wooden panel on the top lid for observation. A lozenge-shaped brass plaque on the top is numbered 'N 4208'.
- Movement Construction
- The movement is described as a gilded twin-barrel 'Garde Temps' type with a quick train operating at 18,000 A/h. It incorporates an Earnshaw-type spring detent escapement with a locking jewel and a two-arm bi-metallic Pennington-type compensation balance. Technical components include an undersprung blued steel helical spring with a terminal curve and parachute suspension. The movement dial plate is marked with an ébauche maker’s punch reading 'P.E.B.' beneath a coronet.
- Dial Configuration and Aesthetic
- The instrument features a silvered regulator-style dial signed 'Breguet et Fils' along the lower edge. The layout consists of an off-center subsidiary hour dial with Roman numerals and two intersecting outer chapter rings for minutes and seconds. These rings include Arabic numeral 10-minute and 10-second markers. A power reserve indicator, labeled for the 'state of wind', is positioned to the right of the dial. The instrument uses blued steel hands, including a counterpoised seconds hand and a power reserve pointer.
Identification
- Serial number
- 4208
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: Movement details, including the twin-barrel mechanism and ébauche punch mark, are not visible from the dial photograph.
- Research required: Country of manufacture is not explicitly stated in the source text.