Footnotes

A masterpiece of mid-20th century horology, this Breguet military chronograph stands as one of the Maison's most exceedingly rare and collectible creations. Crafted in stainless steel with a robust, functional design, it incorporates the highly coveted flyback function, enabling the chronograph to be reset and restarted instantly—a vital tool for pilots and professionals requiring precision under pressure.

Produced in an extraordinarily limited series of only six examples, this watch belongs to the very first generation of Breguet wrist chronographs delivered to the French Centre d'Essais en Vol in 1949, just before the model would officially take the name "Type 20." As Emmanuel Breguet explains in his book Breguet Type XX, this period marked the Maison's response to the rapid development of both civil and military aviation in the jet age, when the need for reliable, redundant instruments became paramount. These six watches—described at the time as "special chronographs with flyback function, two pushers, rotating bezel, black dial with luminous hands and numerals, stainless steel round case with lugs, leather strap"—were delivered between September 1949 and May 1950.

The present example, no. 411, is one of these historic six and represents a direct precursor to the legendary Type 20 family commissioned by the French Air Force and Naval Aviation in the following years. To the best of current scholarship, this is the only example from the original 1949 delivery ever to have appeared on the market, further underscoring its rarity and historical importance.

Interestingly, this pioneering design finds a remarkable contemporary parallel in another horological milestone of 1949: the Patek Philippe chronograph reference 1463 once owned by American collector and racing legend Briggs Cunningham. That watch, likewise featuring a flyback chronograph, rotating bezel, and striking dial layout, demonstrates how different manufactures, in the same pivotal year, responded to the growing demand for technically advanced chronographs. While the Cunningham 1463 achieved renown when sold at Christie's New York, the present Breguet no. 411 represents an equally groundbreaking achievement—its military provenance and extreme scarcity elevating it to the highest echelon of collectible chronographs.

Its manual-wind movement, combined with a case of remarkable sturdiness yet refined proportion, exemplifies Breguet's ability to merge technical innovation with timeless elegance. More than a watch, it is a true historical artefact: a pioneering creation at the very dawn of aviation wrist chronographs, embodying both the scarcity and prestige of Breguet's most illustrious post-war achievements.