Silver one-minute tourbillon watch by Abraham-Louis Breguet, sold to the Princess de Valençay in 1812.

Lever escapement watch by Abraham-Louis Breguet, 1812. Silver case, the back engine turned with an engraved crown covered with clear grey enamel in the centre. Silver chain and key attached. The cuvette is signed ‘Breguet et Fils. Regulateur à Tourbillon no. 2571’. White enamel dial with arabic hour figures and a subsidiary seconds dial. Blued steel 'Breguet' hands. Dial signed ‘Breguet’ in cursive script, with a secret signature underneath. One minute tourbillon with Breguet’s first form of lever escapement. Unsigned full plate fusee movement, with balance and tourbillon carriage outside of plates. Two arm balance with 2 bimetallic compensation strips attached to each arm. Freesprung spiral balance spring with overcoil.

Sir David Lionel Salomons Bt owned an extensive collection of watches, including many notable pieces by the French horologist Abraham-Louis Breguet. He presented a total of 8 watches from his collection, including this one, to the museum of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers in 1924. This watch was originally bought from Breguet by the Princess de Valancay in 1812 for 1600 francs. Clockmakers' Museum No. 469.