The movement of this watch was left unfinished by Louis Berthoud in 1799, at the time he stopped producing theMontres Marines portatives au gousset in favour of the Montres Marines à suspension. It was specially completed at the request of M. le Général Cafarelli, then Préfet Maritime de Brest.Provenance: Previously in the Hurle Bath Collection, this watch was subsequently part of the Windthrop K. Edey Collection. It was described by George Daniels and Cecil Clutton in Watches, 1979, fig. 225 a-b.It is illustrated in J.-C. Sabrier: La Longitude en mer à l'heure de Louis Berthoud et de Henri Motel, Antiquorum Editions, Geneva, 1993, pp. 126 - 127 and 529.Louis-Marie-Joseph, Comte de Cafarelli (1760-1845). Maritime Prefect, born at the Château of Falga (Haute Garonne). Serving first in the Army he soon transferred to the Navy where he was placed in the Compagnie des Gardes de Brestin December 1778. During the War of American Independence he saw action at Tobago, Chesapeake, St. Christophe and Saintes in 1781 and 1782. Lieutenant in 1786, he resigned from the Navy for health reasons. Nominated Conseiller d'Etat in 1799, the following year he became first Préfet Maritime de Brest where he completely reorganised the arsenal and its services. Count of the Empire in July 1810, he organised the Ecoles Navales Embarquées, created in 1811 at Brest and Toulon on the Duquesne and te Tourville. He re-established naval conscription and directed the service of supply to the fleet. Commissioner extraordinary at Toulouse in 1814, peer of realm during the Hundred Days, he was rendered destitute by the Restoration and was obliged to leave public life. He was reinstated as a peer in 1830 and died at Lavelanet (Ariège) fifteen years later.