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Breguet. A very rare and highly important handwritten letter, in later frames
SIGNED BREGUET, 12 DECEMBER 1814
Breguet. A very rare and highly important handwritten letter, in later frames Signed Breguet, 12 December 1814 A handwritten letter by Abraham-Louis Breguet to Mgr. Louis de Belmas (1757 - 1841), French cleric and Bishop, dated 12 December 1814, and handwritten description and instructions for use including a small drawing for one of the pieces of "Garde Temps No. 2741". Completed in 1813 and sold to Monseigneur Belmas in 1822, its cuvette features the engraved inscription Première pièce où la communication de rouage au régulateur s'opère sans frottement. Exécutée en 1813 par Breguet pour Mgr. Belmas, ami de l'auteur . This exceptional piece combines a marine chronometer displaying the hours and the minutes with an independent seconds and minutes counter. Breguet used it in numerous experiments before parting with it to the Bishop of Cambrai. This highly important timepiece is today in the collection of the British Museum in London. For an extensive description of the watch and the relationship between Breguet and Mgr Belmas as well as several illustrations see Breguet - Watchmakers since 1775 by Emmanuel Breguet, p. 275 - 277. Monseigneur Louis Belmas, Bishop of Cambrai (1757-1841) Mgr. Belmas was unquestionably amongst Breguet's most eccentric clients during the last decade of his life, a relation consisting of mutual respect and friendship. Between 1814 and 1822, the passionate collector with a particular interest in complicated watches purchased eight watches from Breguet, spending the at the time impressive amount of nearly 20,000 Francs. During these years he maintained regular correspondence with Breguet, writing extraordinary letters praising the watches in lyrical words. 46 x 34.5 cm. & 38 x 25.5 cm., including frames