The Sandberg Watch Collection

Hotel Richemond, Geneva, Mar 31, 2001

LOT 143

George Margetts, London, No. 312, circa 1785, casemaker's mark FC incuse, for Frederick Comtesse, hallmarked 1813.Very fine and extremely rare large silver astronomical watch.

CHF 100,000 - 150,000

USD 60,000 - 90,000

Sold: CHF 157,500

C. Three-body, 'bassine et filets', engine-turned back cover, polished band and bezel, gilded dust cap.D. Consists of four concentric white enamel discs, one gold disc, and two gold frames. Except for the fixed mean time dial at the centre, bearing the names of eight British ports: Portsmouth, London, Hull, Yarmouth, Dover, Downs, Plymouth and Dublin, the gold vertical North indicator and the two gold parallel parabolas, everything rotates clockwise, including the main dial and the 24 hour tidal dial. The tides at the eight English ports shown on the central dial can be read off the tidal dial towhich the moon hand is fixed. This hand shows the latitude of the moon on the gold four-spoked engraved ring, as well as indicating its position in the Zodiac and declination in degrees on the nearest of the main dial's outer circles. One of the spokes of the ring is engraved with a dragon whose extended tail points to the sign and degree of the Zodiac marked on the second of the three outer circles. The outer circle has an annual calendar which can be read against the sun hand, and this hand alo indicates the sun's declination and position in the Zodiac. The observer's horizon is indicated by the tangential parabola, while the space between it and the inner parabola is the astronomical twilight zone. In the area of the dial enclosed by them can be seen the rise, southing and fall of the constellations. The age of the moon is shown engraved on gold through a circular aperture in the twenty-four hour tidal dial. When there is an eclipse a black spot will show, a large one for an eclipseof the moon, a small one for the sun. The numerous indications on this complex dial are achieved with a special train of sixteen gears. Gold 'beetle and poker' hands. M. 56.7 mm o, gilt brass full plate with circular column pillars, fusee and chain with Harrison's maintaining power, cylinder escapement, large steel escape wheel, plain steel three-arm balance with blued-steel flat balance spring, overbanking pin on the balance rim, cock pierced and engraved with a classical bust within an oval frme, endstone, table and plate with elaborate foliate engraving, rack and pinion regulator with a silver plate.Signed on the movement and the dust cap.Accompanied by a copy of the original description.Diam. 66 mm. Published in the Sandberg book, page 164-165.


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Grading System
Grade:
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 3 - 13 - 01

Notes

The silver case is most probably a near contemporary replacement of what may have been a rather ostentatious original. Alternatively, as Margetts was highly disorganised, the watch may have remained without a case until one was supplied by successors soon after he died after some years of deteriorating eyesight in 1804 (see A.J. Turner, Antiquarian Horology, Volume VII, September 1971).George Daniels, in a publication cited below, calculated the train from which it follows that Margetts' mathematics were quite accurate. The accuracy of the moon is to within 24 seconds per lunar period, and the solar wheel is dead accurate.It is a famous watch by a famous and eccentric maker, and is considered to be the apex of complexity in English watches. The watch can be dated fairly accurately by another almost identical Margetts bearing the preceding number 311, which was stolen some time ago from The Royal Institution in London.Astronomical Margetts, as they are sometimes referred to, very rarely come onto the market. The last one with a gold case was sold at Sotheby's New York on December 2, 1999, The Time Museum Collection sale, for $332,500.Literature: The Royal Institution Proceedings, vol. 42, pp. 429-449.Antiquarian Horology, vol. 6, pp. 350-355, article by George Daniels dealing with Margetts 'Astronomical Watch'.Antiquarian Horology, vol. 7, pp. 304-316, article by A.J. Turner about the life and work of Margetts with extensive bibliography.Piguet Lot Capt:Isaac Daniel Piguet (1775 - 1841) and Henry Capt (1775 - 1841) were partners from 1802 to 1811. They specialised in musical and automaton watches but also made very fine musical pieces with automata. Two small musical movements with five tuned teeth, playing tunes on five notes, were among their first, made in 1802. In 1811 Piguet became associated with Meylan, forming another famous firm, Piguet et Meylan.'Dictionnaire des Horlogers Genevois', Osvaldo Patrizzi, Antiquorum Editions, Geneva, 1998.