Breguet Type XX Marine Nationale

BREGUET, TYPE XX, MARINE NATIONALE, AERONAUTIQUE NAVALE,  FLYBACK CHRONOGRAPH, FIRST GENERATION, LIMITED EDITION

ICONEEK price: SOLD

Iconeek is extremely proud to introduce one of the rarest and most sought-after military french chronograph’s wristwatch: the Type XX, Limited Edition for French Naval Aviation force the « Aéronavale ». Without any doubts, the Breguet’s Type XX (Twenty)  is the most renowned and most desirable of all French military chronographs, ever produced.  In 1954, Breguet was commissioned to produce 2000 Type XX watches for the pilots and the outer casebacks were engraved “Breguet, Type 20, 5101/54” for the contract number and year.

As they were produced for professional military goals, these watches needed to be always in perfect condition and regulary inspected for their accuracy. For so and to keep records for the next services, the date of the next scheduled examination was engraved on the back with the letters “FG” – (Fin de Garantie), end of warranty. The Type 20 watches were used by the French military through the 1980’s. The present watch was used for military purposes for almost twenty years, since its delivery in 1960 to the end of the FG marks in 1976,  “27.7.62 /  23.7.66  / 12.1.69  / 22.7.70  / 4.9.76”.

Louis-Charles Breguet, the great-great-grandson of Abraham Louis Breguet, founder of the brand, was a French aviator, plane manufacturer and engineer. In 1909, he built his first airplane, and during the first World War, he designed the Breguet XIV aircraft, which was mass produced for the French airforce. In 1919, he created a commercial air transport company called Compagnie Des Messageries Avienne, which later became Air France. One of his most successful planes, the Breguet XIX, was one of the first to be used for long distance flights, and in 1927 made the first successful crossing of the South Atlantic.

The Breguet-produced Type XX wristwatches for the French military forces were given to the Armée de l’air (French Air Force), Marine Nationale (French Naval Army), such as the present watch, and for the Centre d’essais en vol (French Flight Tests Center), aka CEV. The Type XX model was one of the first to have a fly-back movement, in which the chronograph is instantly reset just by pushing the lower chronograph button, a very useful function for pilots.

The present model is set with a two-body construction: a large stainless steel circular case with downturned lugs, a screwed case base, a bi-directional revolving steel bezel with reeded edge and pointed luminous arrow, two round chronograph pushers in the band. Under the plexi glass, a matte black dial with painted luminous Arabic numerals, luminous hands,  outer minute divisions with Arabic numerals, two-subsidiary dials for the constant seconds and the 15-minute register at 3. Inside, the model is powered by a Valjoux 222, mechanical movement, manual winding, rhodium-plated, 17 jewels, self-compensating Breguet hairspring, monometallic balance with timing screws, index regulator, column-wheel chronograph work.

According to the Archives of Montres Breguet, the present watch was made in a limited edition of 500 pieces for the Marine Nationale and deliver on January 13th, 1960. We are indebted to Mr. Emmanuel Breguet for his valuable assistance in researching the present watch. Dial signed, case signed and numbered.

A collector !! An iconic watch !!

Condition: 8.5/10, case very good overall condition, deep case back engravings,  movement is ticking as well as chronograph functions, overhaul recommended, later luminous arabic numerals, great overall condition