11
Charles Frodsham
"Minute Repeating Split Seconds Chronograph "
An attractive yellow gold half hunter minute repeating split seconds chronograph pocket watch
Estimate
CHF10,000–20,000
€10,900–21,700
$12,500–25,100
Live 9 May, 2 PM Switzerland Time
Manufacturer
Charles Frodsham
Year
Circa 1896
Movement No
08519
Case No
08519
Model Name
"Minute Repeating Split Seconds Chronograph "
Material
18k yellow gold
Calibre
Manual wind, 24 jewels
Dimensions
54.5mm diameter
Signed
Case, dial and movement signed, case furthermore signed "a" for 1896.
Accessories
Accompanied by Charles Frodsham & Co. Certificate confirming production of the present timepiece with movement supplied by Nicole Nielsen & Co and a manufacturing cost of £94/2.
Full-Cataloguing
Good To Know:
- Split seconds chronograph with minute repeater
- Preserved in excellent condition
Founded in 1834, Charles Frodsham & Co. Ltd. has long been esteemed among the foremost English watchmaking houses. In 1854, Charles Frodsham succeeded Benjamin Lewis Vulliamy as Superintendent and Keeper of Her Majesty's Clocks at Buckingham Palace, serving the King, the Prince of Wales, and Queen Alexandra. Following Charles’s passing, his son, Harrison Mill Frodsham, assumed control of the firm, formally incorporating it as Charles Frodsham & Co. Ltd. in 1893. Harrison Mill Frodsham was both an accomplished horologist and shrewd businessman, guiding the firm to continued excellence in precision timepieces.
The present watch is a rare and technically sophisticated example, combining a minute repeater with a split-seconds chronograph. The enamel dial, likely by Willis, is finely executed, with a minutes counter at 12 o’clock and a continuous seconds subdial at 6 o’clock, reflecting both clarity of design and functional elegance.
Inside the front cuvette is inscribed: From Dorothy 10.4.24 Edwin SS Sunderland 50 E.81 N.Y.C 4 E 72, suggesting a change of address in New York from 50 East 81st street to 4 Est 72nd street. The caseback bears a richly engraved family crest: a shield supporting three lions, surmounted by a griffin-like creature, beneath which is inscribed the Latin motto Deus Agit Causam — “God acts as the cause.”
- Split seconds chronograph with minute repeater
- Preserved in excellent condition
Founded in 1834, Charles Frodsham & Co. Ltd. has long been esteemed among the foremost English watchmaking houses. In 1854, Charles Frodsham succeeded Benjamin Lewis Vulliamy as Superintendent and Keeper of Her Majesty's Clocks at Buckingham Palace, serving the King, the Prince of Wales, and Queen Alexandra. Following Charles’s passing, his son, Harrison Mill Frodsham, assumed control of the firm, formally incorporating it as Charles Frodsham & Co. Ltd. in 1893. Harrison Mill Frodsham was both an accomplished horologist and shrewd businessman, guiding the firm to continued excellence in precision timepieces.
The present watch is a rare and technically sophisticated example, combining a minute repeater with a split-seconds chronograph. The enamel dial, likely by Willis, is finely executed, with a minutes counter at 12 o’clock and a continuous seconds subdial at 6 o’clock, reflecting both clarity of design and functional elegance.
Inside the front cuvette is inscribed: From Dorothy 10.4.24 Edwin SS Sunderland 50 E.81 N.Y.C 4 E 72, suggesting a change of address in New York from 50 East 81st street to 4 Est 72nd street. The caseback bears a richly engraved family crest: a shield supporting three lions, surmounted by a griffin-like creature, beneath which is inscribed the Latin motto Deus Agit Causam — “God acts as the cause.”