DIAM. 41.8 mm. Mathilde Laetitia Wilhelmine Bonaparte (1820-1904) Mathilde Laetitia Wilhelmine Bonaparte, Princesse Française, was a daughter of Napoleon's brother Jérôme Bonaparte and his second wife, Catharina of Württemberg, daughter of King Frederick I of Württemberg. Born in Trieste, Mathilde Bonaparte was raised in Florence and Rome. She was originally engaged to her first cousin, the future Napoleon II of France, but the engangement was later broken off following his imprisonment at Ham. She married a rich Russian tycoon, Anatole Demidov, on November 1, 1840 in Rome. Anatole was raised to the station of Prince by Grand Duke Leopold II of Tuscany shortly before the wedding to fulfill the wishes of Mathilde's father and to preserve Mathilde's station as Princess. Anatole's princely title was never recognised in Russia. They had no children. Count Anatoly (called Anatole) Niko - laievich Demidov , 1st Prince of San Donato (1813-1870) Count Anatoly (called Anatole) Nikolaievich Demidov, 1st Prince of San Donato, was a Russian industrialist, diplomat and arts patron of the Demidov family. Born in Saint Petersburg or Moscow, he was the second son of Count Nikolai Nikitich Demidov and Baroness Elisabeta Alexandrovna Stroganova; he grew up in Paris, where his father was ambassador. On his father's death in 1828 Anatole settled for good in western Europe, returning to Russia as little as possible. He considerably expanded the Demidov collection assembled by his father at the Villa San Donato near Florence, being particularly interested in Romantic art. In 1839 he was introduced into the circle of Jérôme Bonaparte, former king of Westphalia, who was living in exile in Florence. A plan to marry Jérôme's daughter princess Mathilde-Létizia Bonaparte to Demidov was quickly formed. The marriage took place in Rome or Florence on 1 November 1840. In March 1841 the couple went to Saint Petersburg, On 17 August 1841 they arrived in Paris, where they lived until June 1842, when they moved to spend a year in Saint Petersburg before finally setting up home at the villa San Donato. Mortimer & Hunt , London (1839-1843) John Hunt, son of John Samuel Hunt, became a third partner in the company Storr & Mortimer when Paul Storr retired on December 31, 1838. From then on the firm traded as Mortimer & Hunt. Upon the retirement of John Mortimer in 1843, new partners Robert Roskell and C.F. Hancock joined the company, which now continued to do business as Hunt & Roskell. Evidently made to commemorate the marriage of Mathilde Bonaparte and Anatole Demidof in 1840, the red cross and fleur-de-lis featured so prominently throughout in the design of this unique watch are symbols taken from the Demidoff coat of arms. No expense seems to have been spared in its making, the enamel case and dial are exquisitely rendered, the main decoration of opalescent enamel is highly unusual at this early date, it is a particularly difficult effect to achieve and one only perfected much later by Faberge in Russia. The movement is unusually thin for a detent Chronometer and of a very high grade which further enhances its special nature.