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Breguet Serpentine Triple Calendar Moonphase, c. 1990s

DocumentedDocumented from a dealer's listing; attribution and date as stated by the dealer.
Maker / attribution
Breguet (maker)
Date
c. 1990s
Country of origin
Switzerland
Object type
Wristwatch
Dimensions
Case 36 mm
Stock no.
40991752
Credit line
Dealer listing, Analog/Shift (40991752)
Catalogue title (original)
Breguet Serpentine Triple Calendar Moonphase (English)

View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction

Record summary

Catalogued by Analog/Shift (dealer), New York (stock number 40991752), this is a wristwatch by Breguet, made in Switzerland, dated c. 1990s. The Atlas places it in the Mechanical Renaissance period (1990 – 2010) of its Wristwatches collection. Recorded dimensions: Case 36 mm. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.

Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.

Catalogue description

Dealer description — Analog/Shift

Breguet makes the best dials in the biz. Yeah, we said it. Their signature engine-turned dials, individually numbered and hand-finished, are simply beautiful works of art. You’d be hard-pressed to find such fine attention to detail in a watch costing many times what, say, a time-only or time-and-date model from the brand’s Classique line trades for. Take this particular Classique, a Reference 3040, dates to circa the 1990s and features triple calendar and moonphase complications housed in a 36mm 18K yellow gold coin-edged case with a sapphire crystal, and sapphire cabochon winding crown. Its dial is comprised of cloud-de-Paris guilloché and silvered tracks, painted black Roman indices, and a blued steel ‘Breguet’ handset with 'serpentine' date pointer hand. Powered by an automatic winding movement from Breguet, it comes paired to our handmade Blue Curaçao Alligator-Pattern Italian leather strap with a Breguet signed 18k yellow gold pin buckle. In excellent condition, this midsize masterpiece is waiting patiently for its next owner — preferably, someone who appreciates the craftsmanship and patience necessary to execute such a beautifully nuanced dial.

Historical context

Mechanical Renaissance (1990 – 2010)

Mechanical watches return as cultural objects; independent watchmaking flourishes.

Mechanical watches returned as cultural and luxury objects. Complications, tourbillons and new materials proliferated; independent watchmakers such as George Daniels, F.P. Journe and Philippe Dufour revived artisanal watchmaking; collecting vintage watches became a major field.

Read the period in the timelineMore wristwatches from this periodEarlier: Quartz Revolution

Atlas type guide

Calendar, moon-phase and perpetual calendar watches

Calendar complications range from a simple date to the perpetual calendar, which automatically allows for months of different lengths and leap years until 2100. Pocket watches with perpetual calendars were made in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries; Patek Philippe made the first perpetual calendar wristwatch in 1925, and series production followed in 1941. The annual calendar (Patek Philippe, 1996) needs correction only once a year.

Moon-phase displays use a disc with two moons and 59 teeth advanced daily, approximating the 29.5-day lunation; more precise trains reduce the error to one day in over a century.

What to look for

  • Apertures or subsidiary dials for day, date, month and leap year.
  • Moon disc under a 'bosom' shaped aperture.
  • Recessed correctors on the case band for setting the calendar.

Dating clues

  • Triple-date wristwatches: popular c. 1940–1955.
  • Perpetual calendar wristwatches: from 1925 (unique) and 1941 (series).

General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.

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