BREGUET "Type XX" ESSO no. 3054, sold on November 21, 1957 f - Lot 131

BREGUET "Type XX" ESSO no. 3054, sold on November 21, 1957 for 44,100 Frs and offered to one of the three winners of the 28th Monte Carlo Rally in 1959. Steel over leather wristwatch with three-counter chronograph and flyback function, "First Generation" model, round brushed steel case, screw-down back, dust cover, graduated bidirectional rotating bezel, straight crown, pump pushers (top of lower one missing), grained black dial, Arabic numeral hour markers and luminescent hands, external seconds graduation, larger 15-minute totalizers at 3 o'clock, 12-hour totalizers at 6 o'clock and small seconds at 9 o'clock, leather strap with steel pin buckle (reported). Mechanical movement with column-wheel, 14-lines, Valjoux 225 with "retour envol". Dial signed. Case back engraved with "Esso" and n° 3054. Case diameter: 38.3 mm Accompanied by its Breguet certificate, confirmation from the Automobile Club de Monaco with copies of archive photos. Expert: for this lot, SC E S PORTIER is assisted by Géraldine Richard, SFEP expert. Expert's condition report: Microrayures and scratches from use, a deeper scratch on the case back. The case has retained its shape with the angles of the handles. The top of the bottom pusher is missing. The 15-minute totalizer hand and chrono hand are missing luminescent material. The numerals and graduation on the bezel are missing black. The movement was working at the time of writing, but cannot be guaranteed. Neither can individual components, as repairs or restorations may have resulted in the replacement of some original parts. The accuracy of the movement has not been tested, and may require servicing at the buyer's expense. All lots are sold as is, in accordance with the general conditions of sale. All watches have been tested for function at the time of catalog writing. Except for the mention of a mechanism "to be overhauled", the watches were functional. However, the accuracy of the movements is not guaranteed, nor is the operation of the watches beyond the date of sale. ___ Although the Type XX First Generation is the emblematic model of pilot's watches, for civil, military or "naval aviation" purposes, it is less frequently associated with the automotive world. Yet two oil companies, Shell and Esso, placed orders for Type XX models. A total of 35 pieces for "Esso Standard" (the company's name at the time), were acquired between 1955 and 1963, to be offered to the winners of motor racing competitions in which the company was a partner. This Breguet type XX was sold to Esso Standard on November 21, 1957 for 44,100 Francs, and here it was offered to Monsieur Claude Desrosiers, one of the three winning drivers of the 28th Monte Carlo Rally in January 1959, competing alongside Monsieur Paul Coltelloni and Monsieur Pierre Alexandre. It was at the wheel of the Citroën ID 19 personally purchased by Mr. Coltelloni in December 1958, in tortoiseshell blond with a bronze interior, that they won the prestigious race from Paris to Monte-Carlo, car numbered 176 for the occasion. This particular Breguet type XX watch proves to be a historic piece from both a watchmaking and an automobilia point of view. Coming directly from the daughter of Monsieur Claude Desrosiers, it could have been forgotten by her heirs, as it was hidden in the bathtub casing of the family home. Two watches related to motor sports are known to have come up for auction: - a Breguet type XX sold on May 5, 1960, commemorating Jacky Brabham's victory in the 1959 Formula 1 World Championship, inscribed on the back "Esso J. B. Champion Monde 1959", with the inscription "Esso J. B. Champion Monde 1959".B. Champion du Monde 1959", - a Breguet Type XX no. 3065 sold under lot no. 390, at PESCHETEAU BADIN with the expertise of the firm SC E & S Portier assisted by Ader Watches, on March 26, 2018, which belonged to one of Mr. Desrosiers' co-pilots, Mr. Pierre Alexandre. The watch, with its so-called "tropical" dial and the inscription "XXVIIIe RALLYE 1er Classt. General ALEXANDRE COLTELLONNI DESROSIERS sur CITROEN ID 19" was acquired by the Breguet Museum.