Breguet et Fils / George Daniels No. 3225 pendule à trois roues skeleton clock
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1968
This weight-driven pendule à trois roues skeleton timepiece, numbered 3225, was completed in 1968 by George Daniels and officially registered by Breguet proprietor George Brown.
Based on Breguet's historical three-wheel clock designs, the movement operates with a high-count three-wheel train powered by two chain-suspended brass-cased weights. The clock features an annular silvered principal dial displaying two twelve-hour sequences, a ten-minute sector with a three-armed pointer, and an equation of time indicator. A subsidiary dial at the base indicates the date and month in both Gregorian and French Revolutionary calendars.
The entire assembly is mounted upon a veined red marble plinth.
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
- Base
- Veined red marble plinth
- Type
- Skeleton clock
- Dimensions
- 660 mm height overall
- Place recorded
- United Kingdom
- Principal Dial
- 7-inch annular 2 x twelve hour silvered dial
- Calendar Display
- Gregorian and French Revolutionary calendar
- Maker and Number
- Breguet et Fils / George Daniels No. 3225
- Maker / attribution
- Breguet et Fils / George Daniels
Design
- Visible features
- • Frontal skeletonized brass frame with two cylindrical weights suspended from chains • Days of the week engraved in French cursive script along the central upright column • Tiered rectangular plinth crafted from dark red marble with white veining
- Dial Configuration and Calendar Work
- The dial work is centered around the great wheel, which carries a 7-inch annular silvered chapter ring calibrated in two-minute divisions across two twelve-hour sequences. Mean time is referenced by fixed pointers flanking the wheel, while solar time is indicated by a variable sun pointer actuated by an equation kidney cam. A subsidiary annual calendar dial positioned at the base completes one revolution per year and displays both the Gregorian and French Revolutionary calendars. The current date is marked across this lower register by an aligned plumb line, which simultaneously serves as a levelling tool for the timepiece.
- Movement Mechanics and Frame Construction
- The clock operates with a high-count three-wheel train geared for an eight-day duration and fitted with maintaining power. Drive is supplied by two brass-cased weights suspended from chains; as their top edges descend past the skeletonized front frame, they mark the days of the week, which are visibly engraved in French script along the central column. The escapement is a pin wheel design coupled to a compound pendulum with knife-edge rear suspension. The pendulum assembly integrates gridiron temperature compensation below the bob, supplemented at the upper rod by a bi-metallic strip alongside regulation and temperature indication mechanisms.
- Historical Context and Official Registration
- Constructed in 1968 by George Daniels, this timepiece is one of only two three-wheel clocks built by Daniels after studying an original historical Breguet model in Paris. The source records that Daniels made the copy with permission from Breguet proprietor George Brown, who was sufficiently impressed to grant it official entry into the firm's ledgers under number 3225. The arrangement mirrored historical Breguet commercial practice, wherein certification was granted in exchange for the profit margin Breguet would have realized from a direct sale. Daniels retained clock No. 3225 in his personal collection at his Riversdale residence until his death.
- Physical Presentation and Source Limitations
- The entire movement and gear train rest upon a tiered rectangular plinth of veined dark red marble. While the catalogue description specifies that the plinth is equipped with a glazed cover, this component is absent in the available cataloguing photograph. Accompaniments documented in the auction record include original Breguet Certificate No. 3200, dated December 20, 1968, as well as a subsequent Breguet 250th anniversary certificate.
Identification
- Serial number
- 3225
- 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: The glazed cover described in the catalogue is not present in the photograph.
- Research required: The Breguet numbering and certification were granted by contemporary proprietor George Brown to Daniels' recreation rather than being produced in the historical Breguet atelier.