BREGUET - Lot 1

BREGUET "Type 20" Model No. 1806 Chronograph with steel bracelet and flyback function Case: round, screw-down back, fluted bezel, engraved on the back with “L'allinec pilote air fran” and numbered “1806” Dial: black with Arabic numerals, two sub-dials for seconds and 30-minute counters, railway-track minute scale with 1/5-second graduations, signed Movement: mechanical with manual winding, caliber 222, “retour en vol” function for the chronograph Diameter: 38 mm Includes: original Breguet cardboard box bearing the notation “declared value” We thank Emmanuel Breguet and the Breguet SA archives for the following information: “Type 20 sold on May 5, 1955, to Mr. L’Allinec” Civilian Version Type 20 This civilian version of the Type 20 is a highly sought-after watch, particularly due to its 30-minute counter. The inscriptions on the back confirm that it belonged to a former Air France pilot, which enhances its appeal to collectors. The connection between Breguet and Air France The connection between Breguet and aviation dates back even further. Louis Charles Breguet, founder of the Breguet aviation brand, established the Compagnie des Messageries Aériennes in 1919, one of the companies that would later contribute to the founding of Air France. This historical connection explains why the Type 20 watch is often associated with the world of French civilian pilots, such as the one in our example, as well as with military pilots in the Air Force or Naval Aviation. The link between the Breguet Type 20 and Air France is more historical and cultural than contractual. Unlike the French Air Force and Naval Aviation, there is no evidence that Air France officially equipped its pilots with Type XX watches. However, the inscriptions on the back of this watch strongly suggest a connection to the Air France world, likely engraved at the time by the pilot himself. The Prestige of the Type XX Among Air France Captains Over the decades, from early propeller-driven aircraft to revolutionary jets like the Sud Aviation Caravelle and the Concorde, French pilots have forged an indelible professional identity thanks to Breguet pilot’s watches. The Breguet Type 20 established itself as a true “French pilot’s watch,” much like RAF watches for the British or American military chronographs for American pilots. Its appeal lies more in its status as a national aviation instrument than in its official adoption by Air France. Expert: Geoffroy Ader