Made exclusively for the Italian market, the present Breguet Jump Hour wristwatch or “ore saltanti” often called “saltarello” given the Italian predisposition towards nicknames, only 50 individually numbered pieces were produced beginning in 1988. They were delivered based on a “souscription” model, echoing the earliest pocket watches created by Abraham-Louis Breguet himself. For the historical “souscription” pieces, twenty-five percent of the price was paid up front, to allow the watchmaker to finance the production and completion of the watches.
While many of the original “souscription” watches notably featured a single-handed dial, echoed in the current example, the addition of a jump hour powered by an automatic movement adds a contemporary element to the watch. All this is encased in a classic, Breguet-style case with extended downturned lugs and fluted case band, measuring an impressive 36mm in diameter. Preserved in excellent overall condition with crisp hallmarks between the lugs, this rarely seen model is accompanied by its original presentation boxes.