Breguet et Fils No. 106 marine chronometer
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
Sold 11 January 1816 (ébauche before 1800)
Breguet et Fils No. 106 is an early gilt-brass and octagonal mahogany boxed marine chronometer, representing the maker's earliest recorded sale of a marine chronometer.
Sold to Breguet's Bordeaux agent Monsieur Ducom on 11 January 1816, its ébauche is documented by certificate to have been made by Samuel Roy before 1800. The movement features twin barrels turning a single fusee, Harrison's maintaining power, an Earnshaw spring detent escapement on a kidney-shaped plate, and an Arnold three-arm compensation balance with a conical balance spring. The silvered matt dial displays Roman numerals and a large subsidiary seconds dial.
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
- Case
- Octagonal mahogany box
- Type
- Boxed marine chronometer
- Balance
- Arnold's three-arm compensation balance with conical balance spring
- Escapement
- Earnshaw spring detent escapement
- Drive Train
- Twin barrels turning a single fusee
- Ebauche Maker
- Samuel Roy before 1800
- Place recorded
- France
- Maker and Number
- Breguet et Fils No. 106
- Maker / attribution
- Breguet et Fils
Design
- Visible features
- • Octagonal mahogany wooden case with an inset brass keyhole escutcheon on the front facet. • Silvered dial with blued steel hands, Roman hour numerals, and a large subsidiary seconds dial. • Fitted folding brass carrying handle mounted across the upper frame of the octagonal box.
- Dial and Escapement
- The timepiece features a silvered matt dial with Roman numerals and blued steel hands. It includes a large subsidiary seconds dial with Arabic 10-second markers. The movement employs an Earnshaw spring detent escapement fixed to a kidney-shaped plate. It includes Harrison’s maintaining power and an Arnold three-arm compensation balance, fitted with an undersprung polished conical balance spring incorporating spring clamps and a leveling facility.
- Construction and Housing
- The chronometer is housed in an octagonal mahogany box, which features a hinged lid and a glazed brass bezel. A folding brass handle is mounted across the upper frame of the box. The interior mechanism is described as an openwork brass movement. The primary drive system utilizes twin barrels that turn a single fusee; the mechanism is noted to be wound through the glazed case back.
- Provenance and Documentation
- Breguet et Fils No. 106 was sold to Monsieur Ducom, Breguet’s Bordeaux agent, on 11 January 1816 for 2,000 francs. Records state the ébauche was made by Samuel Roy before 1800. The chronometer was returned to Monsieur Ducom for service in 1828 and 1847. Following a 2018 sale, the piece underwent conservation and restoration by David Walter.
Identification
- Serial number
- 106
- 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 internal movement and glazed case back described in the catalogue are not visible in this single exterior top-down photograph.