$6,900
Charles Frodsham, AD. Fmsz, By Appointment to the Queen, late of 84 Strand, 115 New Bond St., London, No. 08858, hallmarked 1900-01.Very fine, 18K gold, keyless, hunting-cased minute-repeating watch. four-body, front cover with coat-of-arms and motto "Dum Spiro Spero" (While I breathe I Hope), engraved initials on the back, gold hinged cuvette, swiveling anti-theft pendant. off-white, by Willis, Roman numerals, outer minute track, subsidiary sunk seconds. 42 mm (19mm), 3/4-plate, frosted gilt, fusee and chain, 31 jewels, lateral counterpoised lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance with gold temperature screws and gold quarter nuts, diamond endstone, blued steel doublovercoiled Breguet balance spring, double roller, repeating on gongs through activating slide in the band.Dial and movement signed. Case punched with Harrison Mill Frodsham mark. Dial signed by Willis.Diam. 51 mm. Notes This is the highest quality repeater that can be found in English watches, which very rarely employ 31 jewels and are rarely so well-finished, with superbly adjusted escapement and double overcoil. It is interesting to point out that the watch comes from the same series as Frodsham tourbillons with additional complications that were destined for the Kew Observatory Timing Contests between 1899 and 1904.
Auctioneer:
Antiquorum
Date:
2003-05-21
