This
item has been sold.
French
precision table regulator by Breguet - Details:
This
very important table regulator by Breguet is encased
in finely figured rosewood, trimmed in boxwood, with
glazed panels on four sides to beautifully display the
complicated movement. The
white enamel dial features Arabic numerals and a jump
hour indicator designed by Breguet. The
blued-steel hands for the hours and center seconds are
also of Breguet design.
The
main features of the movement include: dead beat escapement;
full gridiron compensated pendulum; early rack striking
system; weight driven remontoire; and a thermal compensator
dial.
Further details include: pierced and compensated snail;
pierced cocks; jeweled pallets and escape wheel; and
a most ingenious way of making sure the clock only strikes
one at the half hour. The back plate of the movement
is engraved ‘Breguet’ with matching signature
on the dial.
Circa
1790-1810 -
Dimensions:
24 “ (61 cm)
| Click
images below to view large detailed photographs of this
rare table regulator. |
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Although
Breguet was well known for making high quality watches
and carriage clocks, he made very few precision table
regulators, which makes this especially rare.
The
remontoire provides a more constant and gentle power
to the escapement. It consists of an endless chain passing
over two toothed pulleys on the movement and supporting
two weights suspended on grooved pulleys.
The
first weight supplies the power directly to the escapement
and each time the clock strikes, the spring barrel re-winds
the weight and turns the second toothed pulley with
the second weight acting as a counter weight.
During his life, Abraham-Louis Breguet held the position
of Clockmaker to the French Navy and became a Chevalier
de la Legion d'Honneur. He was a member of the French
Board of Longitude, a body set up to assess the quality
of timekeepers made to find longitude, and was also
a member of the French Royal Academy. In his time, Breguet
was a pioneer in the design and making of watches.
Apart
from a series of marine chronometers, Breguet's finest
achievements in the area of clocks were a group of silver-cased
hump-back carriage clocks, and clocks known as pendules
sympathiques, designed to automatically wind and set
the owner's watch to time at night.
