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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watch · Half quarter repeater openface pocket watch

Breguet 20k pink gold half quarter repeater openface pocket watch with jump hour

Partially verified

This openface pocket watch by Breguet is cased in 20k pink gold and dated circa 1820. Designated with movement number 3'795, the 52.5 mm diameter timepiece incorporates a jump hour hand and a half-quarter repeating complication operated via a pull-twist piston in the pendant, striking on a single gong with one hammer. The mechanical movement is source-recorded as featuring a ruby cylinder escapement and Breguet's parachute shock-protection device. According to the auction catalogue, it was sold to Prince Belosselsky on 11 January 1823. The silvered engine-turned dial is signed 'BREGUET ET FILS' within a cartouche below the chapter ring.

Breguet 20k pink gold half quarter repeater pocket watch, no. 3'795
Breguet 20k pink gold half quarter repeater pocket watch, no. 3'795 — Phillips. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
www.phillips.com
Category
Pocket watch · Half quarter repeater openface pocket watch
Maker / attribution
Breguet
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
1099
Source-reported date
Circa 1820
Country
Switzerland
Source-reported serial
3'795

Source-reported attribution and specifications are not independent authentication. A listing does not establish present ownership, current display, availability or permission to reproduce.

Object description

Case and External Architecture

The timepiece is housed in an openface case constructed of 20k pink gold, measuring 52.5 mm in diameter. The exterior configuration features a top-mounted pendant and a circular suspension ring.

The dial is finished in silvered metal, exhibiting an engine-turned guilloché pattern at the center. It features a Roman numeral chapter ring with dot-style minute markers. The signature 'BREGUET ET FILS' is inscribed within a cartouche situated below the chapter ring.

Evidence for this section
  • “Material 20k pink gold”
  • “Dimensions 52.5 mm. diameter”
  • “Silvered dial with fine engine-turned guilloché center”
  • “Cartouche below 6 o'clock inscribed 'BREGUET ET FILS'”

Movement and Complications

The watch is identified by movement number 3'795. The mechanical movement is reported to feature a ruby cylinder escapement, a jump hour complication, and Breguet's parachute shock-protection device.

A half-quarter repeating complication is operated via a pull-twist piston in the pendant, striking on a single gong with one hammer.

Evidence for this section
  • “Movement No 3'795”
  • “Its mechanism is fitted with a ruby cylinder escapement, parachute, jump hour”
  • “a single hammer repeating on one gong via a pull-twist piston in the pendant”

Historical Attribution

Auction documentation records that the watch was sold to Prince Belosselsky on 11 January 1823 for 2,200 Swiss Francs. The date of manufacture is estimated as circa 1820.

The source indicates the dial, cuvette, and case are signed and/or numbered.

Evidence for this section
  • “sold to Prince Belosselsky on 11 January 1823 for 2,200 Swiss Francs”
  • “Year Circa 1820”
  • “Dial signed, cuvette signed and numbered, case numbered”

Open research questions

  • What specific technical documentation exists in the Breguet archives regarding movement 3'795 beyond the auction catalogue description?
  • Are there records detailing the specific construction of the jump hour mechanism used in this reference?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Breguet 20k pink gold half quarter repeater openface pocket watch with jump hour
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
Movement number3'795“Movement No 3'795”
Case material20k pink gold“Material 20k pink gold”
Diameter52.5 mm.“Dimensions 52.5 mm. diameter”
Original sale date11 January 1823“sold to Prince Belosselsky on 11 January 1823”
EscapementRuby cylinder escapement“Its mechanism is fitted with a ruby cylinder escapement”
Original sale price2,200 Swiss Francs“for 2,200 Swiss Francs”

Visible details

  • Openface pink gold pocket watch case with top pendant and round suspension ring
  • Silvered dial with fine engine-turned guilloché center
  • Roman numeral hour chapter ring with dot minute markers
  • Eccentric subsidiary dial positioned between 3 and 5 o'clock
  • Blued steel Breguet-style hands
  • Cartouche below 6 o'clock inscribed 'BREGUET ET FILS'

Research qualifications

  • Movement, cuvette signatures, and internal repeating mechanism are source-reported and not visible in the provided dial photograph.

Photograph identity and source facts were screened before import; rights clearance remains pending.

Consulted source

Breguet Hong Kong Watch Auction: THREE

Reviewed 2026-10-22 · Record 4d7299c437

Terms in this record

Glossary explanations for terms named in this object’s record.