Important Collector's Wristwatches an...

Hong Kong, Hotel Furama Kempinski, Jun 14, 1995

LOT 244

Le Roy & Fils, Horlogers de la Marine, Palais Royal, 13 & 15 Galerie Montpensier, Paris, 57 New Bond Street, London, No. 56182, made for Abdulhamid II, circa 1890. Extremely fine 18 ct. gold, diamond set, keyless, quarter repeating two time zone watch.

HKD 550,000 - 700,000

USD 70,000 - 90,000

C. Three piece, massive, with diamond-set bezel, the band chased with decoration, shaped diamondset bow, the back with diamond-set border and applied fleurs de lys decoration, centred with the Royal crown, the winding crown designed as a Royal crown. Gold cuvette. D. Massive gold, chased with Arabesques, with two small chapter rings, respectively with Roman and Turkish numerals and subsidiary seconds. Blued steel hands. M. 17-, gilt brass, 29 jewels, counterpoised straight line lever escapement, cut bimetallic balance, Breguet balance spring. Repeating on gongs with slide in the band. Signed on the cuvette. In very good condition. Diam. 47 mm.


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Abdulhamid II or Abd ul Hamid II (1842-1918), 34th Ottoman Sultan. Born and died in Constantinople. He was the second son of Abd ul Medgid, and took the power on 31 August 1876, after the deposition of his brother Mourad V. After the war between the Porte and Serbia (1876), Abd ul Hamid under the pressure of the "Jeunes Turcs" and of their leader, the Great Vizir Midhat Pasha, he promulgated on 23 December 1876 a new Constitution based on the model of democratic countries. But Midhat Pasha was destitute on 5 March 1877 and Abd ul Hamid gave up with the liberal dispositions and dispelled the Parliament. Abd ul Hamid who was called "the red Sultan", contributed with his cruel policy to the decadence of the Ottoman Empire. Revolts exploded everywhere and were repressed with cruelty, the Armenians and other populations were massacred following his instructions and even with his participation (1895- 1896). Such massacres gave vent to the indignation of the European Nations which interpose their diplomacy. Abd ul Hamid was destitute in 1909, he was succeeded by his brother Mohmed Rechad, crowned with the naine of Mahomet V.