96th Auction
2017/11/18
Lot 459
J.W. Benson, 62 & 64 Ludgate Hill, London/Hector Golay, London, Movement No. 2547, 61 mm, 223 g, circa 1902
An important precision pocket watch with 52,5 min. carousel and split seconds chronograph "CLASS 'A' KEW CERTIFICATE. / 93.2 MARKS. JAN. 1906. / A RECORD". With extract from the chronometer archives by Andreas Hidding.
Case: 18k gold, the back lid with inlaid enamel monogram and crest with motto: "Stand Fast" with date "1st Feb. 1906", case maker punch mark "FT" (Frederick Thoms). Dial: silvered. Movm.: 2/3 plate movement, Bonniksen carousel revolving in 52,5 minutes, chain/fusee, English lever escapement, balance spring with both sides passing terminal curves, gold screw Invar compensation balance.
Hector Golay
This precision timekeeper set a new record, that had never been achieved before, of legendary 93.2 points according to observatory tests done at the Kew Observatory in 1904 - with the additional complication of a split seconds chronograph!
Swiss born but working most of his life in London, Golay was the main manufacturer, along with Nicole, Nielsen & Co, of the best English made complicated watch work at the latter part of the 19th century. The three-quarter plate design of the movement with its frosted, gilded, finish is typically English in appearance. For the heavy gold case and off-white enamel dial, Golay used the finest makers of the period: Willis for the dial and Thoms for the case. It is unusual for Golay to sign his own watches - the majority of his pieces were made for other members of the trade, including Frodsham, Dent, Smith and Son or Benson. An extremely talented watchmaker, working at the highest level of precision watchmaking, Hector Golay produced some of the finest English complication watches of the late 19th century.
"Stand Fast" is the motto of Clan Grant, a Highland Scottish clan.
James William Benson
The English maker James William Benson came from a watchmaking family which had run its own company since 1749. Benson worked as a watchmaker from 1857 to 1887; around 1865 he began describing himself as "Watchmaker to the Prince of Wales". At the time the company was very well-established and offered a product range of pocket watches of all kind, complications, and pocket and marine chronometers; Benson used movements by Victor Kullberg, Mercer, and Usher & Cole amongst others. Clocks and church clocks were produced - the town hall of Portsmouth for example has one of Benson's clocks. Later Arthur H. and Alfred Benson took over the running of the company.
Source: "Watch-Wiki" - "James William Benson", http://www.watch-wiki.de/index.php?title=Benson%2C_James_William, as of 03/19/2008.
An important precision pocket watch with 52,5 min. carousel and split seconds chronograph "CLASS 'A' KEW CERTIFICATE. / 93.2 MARKS. JAN. 1906. / A RECORD". With extract from the chronometer archives by Andreas Hidding.
Case: 18k gold, the back lid with inlaid enamel monogram and crest with motto: "Stand Fast" with date "1st Feb. 1906", case maker punch mark "FT" (Frederick Thoms). Dial: silvered. Movm.: 2/3 plate movement, Bonniksen carousel revolving in 52,5 minutes, chain/fusee, English lever escapement, balance spring with both sides passing terminal curves, gold screw Invar compensation balance.
Hector Golay
This precision timekeeper set a new record, that had never been achieved before, of legendary 93.2 points according to observatory tests done at the Kew Observatory in 1904 - with the additional complication of a split seconds chronograph!
Swiss born but working most of his life in London, Golay was the main manufacturer, along with Nicole, Nielsen & Co, of the best English made complicated watch work at the latter part of the 19th century. The three-quarter plate design of the movement with its frosted, gilded, finish is typically English in appearance. For the heavy gold case and off-white enamel dial, Golay used the finest makers of the period: Willis for the dial and Thoms for the case. It is unusual for Golay to sign his own watches - the majority of his pieces were made for other members of the trade, including Frodsham, Dent, Smith and Son or Benson. An extremely talented watchmaker, working at the highest level of precision watchmaking, Hector Golay produced some of the finest English complication watches of the late 19th century.
"Stand Fast" is the motto of Clan Grant, a Highland Scottish clan.
James William Benson
The English maker James William Benson came from a watchmaking family which had run its own company since 1749. Benson worked as a watchmaker from 1857 to 1887; around 1865 he began describing himself as "Watchmaker to the Prince of Wales". At the time the company was very well-established and offered a product range of pocket watches of all kind, complications, and pocket and marine chronometers; Benson used movements by Victor Kullberg, Mercer, and Usher & Cole amongst others. Clocks and church clocks were produced - the town hall of Portsmouth for example has one of Benson's clocks. Later Arthur H. and Alfred Benson took over the running of the company.
Source: "Watch-Wiki" - "James William Benson", http://www.watch-wiki.de/index.php?title=Benson%2C_James_William, as of 03/19/2008.
estimated
35.000—45.000 €
Price realized
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