The Art of American Horology Part ll,...

Roosevelt Hotel, Madison Avenue @ 45th Street, Dec 04, 2002

LOT 207

J.W. Benson, by special warrants to H.M. The Queen & H.R.H. The Prince of Wales, 62 & 64 Ludgate Hill, No. 2320. Hallmarked 1897-98.Very fine, hunting-cased, keyless, minute-repeating, 18K gold pocket watch destined for the Observatory trial.

USD 4,000 - 6,000

C. four-body, "Demi-bassine", triple-hinged, polished, gold cuvette. D. off-white, by Willis, with Roman numerals, outer minute ring, auxiliary sunk seconds dial. "Spade" blued steel hands. M. 43mm (19'''), 3/4-plate decorated with crosshatched pattern, pillar plate and bridges frosted and gilded, 21 jewels, lateral calibrated lever escapement with the lift on the pallets, cut-bimetallic compensation balance with gold temperature screws and gold meantime nuts, blued steel free-sprung double-overoiled Breguet balance spring, repeating on gongs by activating slide on the band.Dial and movement signed.Diam. 54 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AA

Very good
Case: 3

Good
Movement: 3*

Good

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

Notes

This watch is from a series of complicated pieces destined for the Kew Observatory Contests, which accounts for the unusually high standards on finishing the escapement and employing a freesprung double-overcoiled balance spring. A "sister" watch, No. 2324, performed quite well at the 1899 contest.