Right on time for Breguet’s 250th anniversary this year, Phillips just revealed it will soon be selling Breguet Sympathique no. 1, the unique, entirely gold clock created as a tribute to the 19th century originals made by Abraham-Louis Breguet. This is the first time the clock is emerging in public after it was first sold in 1991.

Actually a clock with an accompany wristwatch (that can be transformed into a pocket watch), the Sympathique is masterful, modern-day creation that reproduces the genius of A.-L. Breguet’s original concept of a master clock that winds and sets a removable watch over the course of the night, allowing the owner to retrieve the watch for use the next day.

The first of a 20-piece series, clock no. 1 is most unique in both entirely solid gold – the master clock, wristwatch, pocket watch case, and bracelet are all in 18k yellow gold.

Like the rest of the series it was constructed by Techniques Horlogères Appliquées (THA) in Sainte-Croix, a complications workshop that is today most famous for having had Francois-Paul Journe, Denis Flageollet, and Vianney Halter amongst its alumni.

One of the artisans who worked on the Sympathique series was Dominique Mouret, a clockmaker who today still restores antique clocks in his workshop in Sainte-Croix.

The clock comes straight from the collection of the original owner who paid CHF1.55 million at The Art of Breguet auction held by Antiquorum in 1991. It has an estimate in excess of CHF1.00 million, but I think anyone wanting to buy it would need at least CHF2.50 million to be competitive.

Sympathique no. 1 will be sold at Phillips’ Geneva auction taking place on May 10 and 11, 2025.