Lot 20

Jules Jürgensen

An extremely rare, fine and historically interesting precision half hunting case pocket watch with pivoted detent chronometer escapement and keywinding - presentation watch of the 15th President of the United States, James Buchanan (1791-1868) to Captain Peter Conrad Petrie for the rescue of shipwrecked American sailors in 1859

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This exceptional timepiece is listed as a presentation watch in the 'Mercantile Navy List' as early as 1861. This annual publication lists all British registered vessels one quarter of a ton and over, including coastal vessels, ferries and pleasure craft. There it says: "The American Government awarded Petrie a gold chronometer and chain, for picking up at sea from their boats the crew of the "Grey Oak" of New York, abandoned in March 1859." The "Grey Oak" foundered in the Atlantic Ocean. Its crew were rescued by the British screw steamer "City of Washington" under Captain Peter Conrad Petrie.
The auxiliary screw steamer "City of Washington" was Clyde built in 1855, for the Liverpool, New York & Philadelphia Steam Ship Co., owned by William Inman and the Richardson Brothers of Liverpool. On completion, the ship was immediately chartered by the French for trooping to the Crimea. Initially 319' long, "City of Washington" was increased to 358' in 1869, and served until 1873 when she was lost after running aground, twenty miles from Cape Sable.
This watch is illustrated in detail in "The Jürgensen Dynasty" by John M. R. Knudsen, Copenhagen 2013, page 229 and in "Alte Uhren", issue 4/1983, Munich 1983, page 324.