Important Modern and Vintage Timepieces
Hong Kong, Oct 23, 2011
LOT 315
FOR J. PIERPONT MORGAN ? MINUTE REPEATING TOURBILLON & SPLIT-SECONDS CHRONOGRAPH Charles Frodsham, by Appointment to the Queen, 115 New Bond St., late of 84 Strand, London, No. 08616, Ad. Fmsz. The case with London hallmarks for 1897-98, the movement supplied by Nicole Nielsen & Co., entered in stock 1898, ordered by J. Pierpont Morgan and given to P.M.H. in 1913. Exceptional and highly important, large, 18K gold minute-repeating, keyless pocket chronometer with one-minute tourbillon regulator, split-seconds chronograph and 60-minute register.
HKD 1,000,000 - 1,500,000
USD 130,000 - 190,000 / EUR 95,000 - 140,000
Sold: HKD 1,820,000
C. Four-body, "pommes et fi let", massive, by Harrison Mill Frodsham, mastermark HMF, polished, swivel anti-theft pendant, mastermark GJ. Hinged gold cuvette engraved ?P.M.H. from J.P.M. 1913?. D. ?Best venetian tint? enamel, by master dial maker Willis, radial Roman numerals, outer minute divisions, outermost seconds divided into fi fths, subsidiary 60-minute register at 9, subsidiary seconds symmetrically at 3. Blued steel spade hour and minute hands, gold star chronograph hand. M. 51 mm (23???), frosted gilt, 3/4-plate, 18 jewels, some in screwed chatons, one-minute equidistant 3-arm steel tourbillon carriage poised with gold screws as in a compensation balance and by friction-fi t gold nut set on eccentric post for micrometric adjustment, lateral counterpoised lever escapement, cut-bimetallic compensation balance with gold temperature and mean time adjustment screws, double-overcoiled free-sprung Breguet balance spring with inner and outer Phillips terminal curves, Nicole Nielsen chronograph mechanism driven from the toothed carriage, while the register is driven directly from the 2nd wheel, repeating on gongs activated by a slide in the band. Dial and movement signed, case punched with H.M. Frodsham mark, movement and case with the same serial number. Diam. 63 mm. Thickness 19 mm.
| Grading System | |
|---|---|
Grade: |
|
Case: 2 |
Very good |
Movement: 2 |
Very good |
Dial: 1-01 |
As new HANDS Original |
Notes
This example presented, No. 08616, was the fi rst be ordered with these specifi cations and differs from other, known, inscribed watches as the order date of 1898, and presentation date of 1913, are so far apart.
John Pierpont Morgan and his wife, Frances Tracy Morgan, had 4 children. John Jr (1867-1943), Louisa (1866-1946), Juliet (1870-1952) and Anne (1873-1952)
It is interesting to note that his daughter, Juliet Pierpont Morgan, who married William Pierson Hamilton (1869-1950) on April 12, 1894 (great grandson of *Alexander Hamilton) had a son, Pierpont Morgan Hamilton in 1898. William Pierson Hamilton joined the fi rm J.P. Morgan & Co in 1897, became a full partner in 1900 and retired on January 1st, 1922.
Pierpont Morgan Hamilton (P.M.H.) left Harvard University in 1917 when the United States joined World War 1. After training he became First Lieutant in the Signal Offi cier?s Reserve Corps and again enlisted in the US military during WWII where he received the Medal of Honor, the United States military?s highest decoration.
As the fi rst Charles Frodsham minute repeating split-second chronograph pocket watch with tourbillon to be ordered by J.P. Morgan it is very probable he either intended the watch for himself, or more likely for his son-in-law after he joined the family company. Why he never presented the watch until 1913, shortly before his death the same year, and then to his 15 year old grandson, at present remains a mystery.
With no use for such an important watch during his military service it is probable Piermont Hamilton left it in the company of his parents, who divorced in 1923, until purchased from their relative estates shortly after they died in 1950 & 1952 by the famous American collector of important pocket watches, Esmond Bradley Martin, sometime prior to 1956. The watch was offered for auction as part of the Esmond Bradley Martin estate in New York, 2002 and again by Antiquorum in 2004 & 2008.
Alexander Hamilton (1757-1804) was the United States fi rst Secretary of the Treasury.