GENEVA – 7 APRIL 2025 – This May, Phillips in Association with Bacs & Russo will present one of the most historically and technically important horological creations of the 20th century: the Breguet Sympathique N°1, designed and built by François-Paul Journe in 1991. This groundbreaking timekeeping ensemble — featuring an Empire-style master clock with yellow gold panels and a matching 18k yellow gold wristwatch tourbillon — stands as a modern tribute to one of Abraham-Louis Breguet’s most ingenious inventions. With an estimate in excess of CHF 1,000,000, this extraordinary set will be offered at the Geneva Watch Auction: XXI, taking place on 10–11 May 2025 at Hotel President, Geneva.
A monumental, historically important, technically impressive unique brass base with yellow gold panels clock with moonphase, equation of time, thermometer, month, day and date indications accompanied by a yellow gold tourbillon wristwatch with moonphase display and power reserve, 1991
Estimate: In excess of CHF 1,000,000
Alexandre Ghotbi, Head of Watches, Europe & Middle East, and Tiffany To, Head of Sale, jointly said, “Sir David Salomons, the world’s greatest Breguet collector, once wrote, ‘To carry a fine Breguet watch is to feel that you have the brains of a genius in your pocket.’ To paraphrase him, the Breguet Sympathique N°1 offers the extraordinary sensation of having Breguet’s genius reimagined for modern times through the vision of F.P.Journe and THA—placing the brilliance of these watchmaking masters on your mantelpiece, in your pocket, or on your wrist. It is an absolute honour to bring this historic masterpiece back to the market after over 30 years—a symbol of craftsmanship and human ingenuity that transcends generations and continues to inspire collectors and connoisseurs alike.”
First conceived in 1795, Abraham-Louis Breguet’s original Pendule Sympathique was a system that allowed a paired pocket watch to be automatically wound, set, and adjusted by its accompanying clock. Only eleven were ever produced, each a mechanical marvel. Nearly 200 years later, François-Paul Journe — then at the helm of Technique Horlogère Appliquée (THA), alongside Denis Flageollet and Dominique Mouret — was commissioned by Breguet to revisit this forgotten complication for the landmark 1991 “Art of Breguet” exhibition and auction.
The result was the Sympathique N°1. Standing at 255mm tall, with yellow gold panels and a classical architectural form designed by horological illustrator David Penney, the Sympathique N°1 clock is equipped with a moon-phase, equation of time, thermometer, and full calendar (day, date, month). It is also the first and only example of Journe’s proposed twenty clocks to be crafted in gold.
The matching wristwatch —crafted in 18k yellow gold and measuring 36mm in diameter — features a tourbillon, moon-phase, and power reserve in a regulator-style layout. When the wristwatch is docked within the clock, the Sympathique mechanism winds the watch, sets the time, and regulates its balance to match its own.
The Sympathique N°1 made its public debut during the “Art of Breguet” exhibition in 1991 and subsequent auction in Geneva on 14 April 1991, where it sold for CHF 1,546,250. It has remained within the same collection ever since.
As Breguet celebrates its 250th anniversary this year, the return of the Sympathique N°1 is a testament to Journe’s early genius and long fascination with the tourbillon and complex timekeeping systems — an obsession that would later define his eponymous brand.
Auction: 10 & 11 May 2025
Auction viewing: 7 – 11 May 2025
Location: Hotel President, 407 Quai Wilson, Geneva, Switzerland, 1201
