Watchmaking is the basis of modern technology. The original programmed machines were the clocks used in the towns and villages ticking away to tell the inhabitants how much longer they would have to wait for the sermon to finish! The very first clock was created in Italy in the 12thcentury. It was a simple mechanism, which would chime every 20 minutes or every hour. It was something that had never existed before and was there for the benefit of everyone. From that moment on there was no stopping watchmaking and mankind's love affair with time and timekeepers had arrived.

It was from this passion for innovation that Patrizzi & Co Auctioneers was born and it is from this passion that Patrizzi & Co is proud to announce its first auction to be held in Geneva Switzerland on 18 November 2008 – dedicated naturally, to watchmaking masterpieces.

One of the Highlights:
BREGUET – No. 2807
sold to General Yermoloff on 26 August 1817 for 4'000 Francs.



An extremely rare and exceptionally fine 18K gold and enamel astronomical, equation of time pocket watch with mean and true solar time, manual perpetual calendar and phases of the moon, presented in its Morocco fitted box, accompanied by Breguet certificate dated 1857, and a copy of the original Breguet drawing. In his manufacturing registers, Breguet called this type of equation, “Premier équation”. Its production cost was over eight times greater than the cost of the entire movement (without the escapement)!

Breguet started building just five of these watches, but only three were completed by him; this one, one in a Middle Eastern collection and watch No. 3947. The No. 2807 is not only the earliest but also the only one known to be still entirely in its original condition.
Estimate: SFr. 1'500'000 – 2'000'000, US$ 1,400,000 – 1,850,000.

Source: Patrizzi & Co Auctioneers SAwww.patrizziauction.com