Exceptional horologic works of art

Hotel Noga Hilton, Geneva, Oct 11, 2003

LOT 59

The Order of the Garter. John Kentish, Junior, London, No. 1073, hallmarked 1770-71. Very fine and rare 22K gold and painted on enamel watch of noble provenance, with center-seconds, eccentric dial, and stop feature

CHF 20,000 - 25,000

EUR 13,000 - 16,000

Sold: CHF 59,800

C. By Richard Palmer of 2 Red Lion Street, Clerkenwell, two-body, back centered by painted on enamel coat-of-arms with lion rampant flanked by two wings and surrounded by a garter with the motto "Honi soit qui mal y pense", the whole surmounted by a crown, the top with translucent imperial blue enamel ribbon, the bottom with two crossed fern leaves, bezels with translucent imperial blue enamel floral pattern, winding aperture concealed by a spring-loaded shutter, gilt brass dust cap. D. Off-white enamel with eccentric radial Roman chapter set at the top with outer minute dot divisions and five-minute Arabic markers, outermost seconds track. Blued steel "beetle and poker" hands. M. 46 mm, hinged, frosted gilt full plate with square baluster pillars, fusee and chain with special maintaining power device, jeweled cylinder escapement, steel balance with flat balance spring,single-footed cock with diamond endstone, stop lever at 5 o'clock for precision setting.Signed on dial and movement, case punched with the casemaker's mark.Diam. 57 mm.


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Grading System
Grade: AAA

Excellent
Case: 3 - 40 - 47
Movement: 3*

Good

Overhaul recommended, at buyer's expense
Dial: 2 - 01

Notes

A rare watch of very high quality. The movement is superbly finished, even in its details. The stop lever acts directly on the amplitude controlling pin protruding directly from the balance staff, which is jeweled; another rare feature in such an early watch. The case is exceptionally well executed by one of the best London casemakers of the time.John Kentish, Jr. was in partnership with Mangaar and Allman until 1772. He went bankrupt two years later. Hence, although the case was made a year before the dissolution of the partnership, the watch, which Kentish alone signed, must have been finished during the period after Kentish had left the partnership and before his bankruptcy; that is, in 1773 or 1774. It is possible that Kentish locked himself out of the market by making only extraordinary watches. In the London Science Museum in South Kensington there is an excellent repeater made by him, and in April 1994 Antiquorum sold a watch similar to this one, which also had center seconds and an enameled case.We have seen only six watches made by Kentish. All of them featured a special maintaining-power device which he must have invented during his partnership with Mangaar and Allman.For biographical information on John Kentish, Junior, see "John Arnold & Son, Chronometer Makers 1762-1843", by Vaudrey Mercer,p. 34, pl. 41 and 42.The motto on the coat of arms, "honni soit qui mal y pense" evil to him who evil thinks, is that of the British Order of the Garter.The Order of the Garter, created in 1348 by King Edward III, is Britain's most ancient and most important chivalric order. Its members were personally selected by the king, and always numbered 26, including the king himself. The order's patron saint is St. George, who is also the patron saint of England. The watch undoubtedly belonged to a member of the Order; it may even have been a gift to him from the king.