MORTIMER & HUNT - HISTORICALLY INTERESTING GOLD
& ENAMEL DETENT CHRONOMETER WATCH OF NOBLE
PROVENANCE
Mortimer & Hunt, London, No. 1959, the movement Swiss. The
case with London hallmarks for 1841-1842. Made to celebrate the
marriage of French Princess Mathilde-Laetitia Wilhelmine Bonaparte
(1820-1904) and Anatole Nikolaievitch Demidoff (1813-1870),
Prince of San Donato, Italy.
Extremely fine and unique, heavy 18K gold and champlevé enamel
pocket watch with spring detent Chronometer escapement
and champlevé enamel on gold dial. Accompanied by assorted
correspondence of the Princess.
Three-body, "demi-bassine", master mark LC for Louis Comptesse,
London, polished bezel decorated with alternating translucent
red champlevé enamel crosses and fleur-de-lis, royal blue
enamel band with gold foliage and the Demidoff family motto
"ACTA NON VERBA" ("Deeds not Words"), the back cover overlaid
with opalescent enamel over a foliate engraved ground, the
center with a translucent red enamel cross on an engraved ground,
outer border with gold letters in translucent red enamel squares
spelling the names Bonaparte and Demidoff with alternate letters
"BDOENMAIPDAORFTFE", intersected by fleur-de-lis, outermost
border decorated to match the bezel, cast gold and red champlevé
enamel royal crown pendant. Gold cuvette secured by a blued steel
screw, apertures for winding hand-setting and regulation.
Heavy gold overlaid with opalescent enamel over foliate engraving
to match the case, radial polished gold Roman numerals
and outer dot minute divisions, the center with a large gold and
translucent red enamel fleur-de-lis. Blued steel fleur-de-lis hands.
34 mm., matte gilt, bridge caliber, jeweled to the third wheel,
Earnshaw-type Chronometer escapement with spring footed-detent,
cut bimetallic compensation balance with gold temperature
adjustment screws, blued steel flat balance spring, index regulator,
foliate engraved balance bridge.
Cuvette signed, case punched with case maker's mark LC for Louis
Comptess and London hallmarks for 1841-2.