Bonhams
Lot 58
Thomas Tompion, London. A fine and rare 18K gold and gilt metal key wind quarter repeating pair case pocket watchDate: London Hallmark for 1709-10Movement: Gilt full plate fusee verge, pierced and engraved balance cock, diamond end stone, silver regulation, two polished hammers striking a bell secured to the inner back by 1 screw, round baluster pillars, No.350Dial: Champlevé signed Tompion within a central cherub and garland cartouche, black Roman numerals, black outer minute track with 5 minute markers, blued beetle and poker handsCase: Polished 19th century custom made gilt metal inner, pierced and engraved original gold outer with engraved monogram MM beneath a crown for Mary Montagu, dust ring numbered insideSigned: Dial & movement signed Thomas Tompion, London, outer case stamped WS for William SherwoodSize: 58mmFootnotes:Thomas Tompion is commonly referred to as the father of English clockmaking. His workshops were renowned and he had patrons in the highest levels of English society and with good reason. He has created some of the greatest clocks in the world and was one of the first to use balance springs in watches. He famously employed George Graham who married his niece and succeeded him in the company.The current lot represents an important quarter repeating watch of the highest quality and one of the earliest surviving with jewelled bearings made for Mary, Duchess of Montagu (July 1689 - May 1751). It is one of just three recorded that can be proven to have been made for a woman at this period, one of which, remarkably, was first owned by Mary's sister Ann. The cypher on the outer case 'MM' below the coronet of a Duke or Duchess with five visible strawberry leaves set on a rim confirms this connection. Mary was the wife of John Montagu, 2nd Duke of Montagu and the fourth and youngest daughter and co-heir of the celebrated John Churchill, 1st Duke of Marlborough. She married in 1705, some four years prior to his succession to the Dukedom on 9th March 1709. As 1709 is the same year as the hallmark on the case it is quite conceivable that she received the watch as a gift either to celebrate the marriage or possibly as a twenty first birthday gift.The movement is one of the very earliest surviving watches with pierced jewelled bearings and diamond end stones for the balance. The ruby bearings are in settings top and bottom, each with small polished countersinks above and below. The beautifully pierced and foliate engraved cock has a diamond end stone and a further diamond end stone is set in a dovetail piece in the bottom potence. Tompion appears to have begun jewelling some of his watches in 1708 and, of those surviving recorded examples, there is just one repeater earlier (number 207, inner case hallmarked 1708/9) and timepiece 4002/3 details of which are confused.Provenance:Mary Montagu nee ChurchillR A Miles Collection to T P Camerer Cuss 3 July 1953T P Camerer Cuss CollectionIllustrated:T P Camerer Cuss, The Country Life Book of Watches, Country Life, 1967, plate 43T P & T A Camerer Cuss, The Camerer Cuss Book of Antique Watches, AC C 1976, plate 49 and colour plate 4For further information on this lot please visit Bonhams.com
