Phillips is honored to offer this exceptional Charles Frodsham Minute Repeating Grand Sonnerie Clock Watch with Tourbillon, Perpetual Calendar, and Moon Phase. This magnificent timepiece is one of only two known with these combined complications made by the famed English watchmaker. One of the finest watches ever made by the storied firm, its exceptional craftsmanship and quality make it a remarkable, museum-quality timepiece showcasing the very best of British horology.
Throughout the centuries, Great Britain has been associated with a long line of innovative watchmakers like Thomas Tompion, John Harrison, and Thomas Mudge each of whom made lasting contributions to the history of horology. The contemporary landscape of British watchmaking continues this proud heritage, revered amongst today’s collectors due to the late George Daniels, followed by his protegé, Roger Smith whose Number 2 pocket watch achieved $4.9 million at Phillips New York in 2023 - the highest price ever for a British timepiece, and of course Charles Frodsham & Co. Ltd., which are the world’s longest continuously trading firm of chronometer manufacturers, with the formidable Double-Impulse Chronometer wristwatch released in 2018, and the result of 16 years of development work, further pushing hand-made British watchmaking to the forefront of modern horology.
Charles Frodsham (1810-1871) was a renowned British watchmaker born into a dynasty of clock, watch, and chronometer makers, becoming one of the leading horological figures of the 19th century. His father William James Frodsham was a respected clockmaker, and out of ten children, five apprenticed with their father and entered the trade. Charles showed early promise in watchmaking, submitting two chronometers, numbers 1 & 2 to the 1830 Premium Trails at Greenwich. Number 2 won the second Premium prize of 170 sterling, establishing his reputation for quality. Charles Frodsham & Co. was founded in 1834 and quickly became known for producing precision timepieces. Frodsham would purchase Arnold's firm in 1843, adapting their numbering sequence for his own watches begun in 1761, and continuing in sequence to this day for Charles Frodsham & Co.’s contemporary watches. In 1854, Charles Frodsham succeeded Benjamin Lewis Vulliamy as the Superintendent and Keeper of Her Majesty's Clocks at Buckingham Palace. Appointed as chronometer maker to the Admiralty, by the mid 1850s, he had established himself as a preeminent watchmaker known for exceptional craftsmanship and innovation.
Charles Frodsham (1810-1871), courtesy of Charles Frodsham & Co Ltd. When Charles died in 1871, the firm, under his son Harrison Mill Frodsham’s guidance, continued to be recognized for precision timekeepers. Frodsham sent marine chronometers to the Royal Observatory trials attaining first place in 1871 and 1885, and played a crucial role in improving the accuracy of chronometers, helping to advance British maritime trade and exploration.
Equally, Frodsham sent a number of high-grade watches, including tourbillons, to the Kew Observatory for Kew “A” testing between 1884 and 1912 with the tourbillon No. 09182 receiving the highest marks ever for an English watch tested at Kew, with, 93.9 marks out of 100.
Aside from the tourbillon, spectacularly finished and framed by the gilt brass top plate, the immensely complicated workings within are hidden from view. The present Charles Frodsham clock watch is a horological tour de force equal to and in some cases exceeding the innovation and craftsmanship found on the finest complicated wristwatches manufactured today. Weighing in at a hefty 454.1 grams – 1 full pound – and measuring an incredible 75mm in diameter, this timepiece must be seen in person to fully appreciate what has to be considered one of the most important and finest English watches ever produced. In fact, it is 1 mm larger in diameter than the Patek Philippe Henry Graves Jr. Supercomplication. The case was made to the best of English standard, with a turning pendant and the use of 5-knuckle hinges for the inner cuvette and caseback.
Exterior façade of Charles Frodsham & Co. at 84 Strand, circa 1896 The clock watch is a mechanical marvel combining the functions of both a watch and a clock, and were exceptionally made by the finest makers during the 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. While indicating the hours, minutes, and seconds like a standard pocket watch, a clock watch also strikes the time with a chiming mechanism. The present clock watch features not only a minute repeater, but also a grande sonnerie complication that chimes the hours and quarters hours at each quarter. It is fitted with a discrete lever under the bezel allowing the owner to enable or silence the grande sonnerie function, as well as a slide at 4 o’clock for actuating the minute repeater. The going train and striking mechanism are each wound by rotating the crown in opposite directions, respectively.
The complicated elements of the movement revealed. Frodsham was well-known for precision watches including movements with tourbillon, in which the escapement is driven by the revolving carriage, and Karrusels with the escapement driven by the train. In both cases, these complex mechanics are used to counteract the effects of vertical positional errors and are seen as the pinnacle of watchmaking due to the skill required to manufacture and assemble them.
The present watch numbered 09649, and the companion piece numbered 09572, today in a private collection, feature Nicole Nielson tourbillons, which are considered the finest of the era. Nicole, Nielson & Co was a leading movement manufacturer in the late 19th/early 20th century, known for their complications like the tourbillon carriage and patented chronographs with fly back mechanisms.
“Most of the later masterpieces of watchwork were made by [Nicole, Nielson & Co.] and anyone owning a Frodsham tourbillon, especially one with complications, is indeed to be envied.”
—Vaudrey Mercer, The Frodshams:
A Story of a Family of Chronometer MakersThis clock watch has a spectacular, hand-made dial with engine-turned center and polished chapter ring with black Roman numerals complimented by gold polished subsidiary rings for day of the week, months, leap year indication, date, and seconds with moon phase indication. Breguet-style hands indicate the hours and minutes. The dial is breathtaking in its beauty, and superbly preserved.
Detail of the dial out of the case. When this watch was first offered at auction in 1989, the consignor had inherited the watch from his father, the original owner. A true renaissance man, he was a surgeon of Scottish heritage born in New York, and an accomplished investment banker, frequently using this Charles Frodsham Clock Watch on his three-masted, 147-foot schooner named “Cuttysark” during voyages to the Caribbean. During World War I, he was the General Manager of the American Red Cross in France with the rank of Colonel, and it was suggested that he purchased the watch at that time. The present consignor has owned the watch since its purchase at that auction, and it remains in the identical state of preservation, having never been used since then.
Today’s most experienced collectors are keen for rare and unique watches made by hand from the finest horological masters. The present lot is without any doubt, the finest and one of the most complicated timepieces ever made by Charles Frodsham, and quite possibly one of the most important British timepieces ever made. The impressive size, the superb combination of complications, the immaculate condition, and its ultimate rarity come together to make this a museum-quality timepiece that will exceed the demands of even the most demanding scholars, connoisseurs, and collectors.
Manufacturer:
Charles Frodsham
Year:1917
Movement No:09649
Material:18K yellow gold
Calibre:Keyless, three quarter plate, going and strike trains fully jewelled in screwed settings, Nicole Nielsen type-1 three arm one minute tourbillon carriage with lever escapement
Dimensions:75mm Diameter
Signed:Case London hallmarks for 1917, casemaker initials “HMF” for Harrison Mill Frodsham, dial signed Frodsham, backplate signed “Chas. Frodsham, 27 South Molton St. London, by appointment to the King” with Royal and honor cyphers, numbered 09649 and ADFmsz
Accessories:Associated brass-bound mahogany box
Provenance:Sotheby’s, October 30, 1989, lot 198
Literature:The present clock watch is described in The Frodshams, The Story of a Family of Chronometer Makers, by Vaudrey Mercer, pp. 209 and 210 Provenance
Sotheby’s, October 30, 1989, lot 198
Literature
The present clock watch is described in The Frodshams, The Story of a Family of Chronometer Makers, by Vaudrey Mercer, pp. 209 and 210
Catalogue Essay
Phillips is honored to offer this exceptional Charles Frodsham Minute Repeating Grand Sonnerie Clock Watch with Tourbillon, Perpetual Calendar, and Moon Phase. This magnificent timepiece is one of only two known with these combined complications made by the famed English watchmaker. One of the finest watches ever made by the storied firm, its exceptional craftsmanship and quality make it a remarkable, museum-quality timepiece showcasing the very best of British horology.
Throughout the centuries, Great Britain has been associated with a long line of innovative watchmakers like Thomas Tompion, John Harrison, and Thomas Mudge each of whom made lasting contributions to the history of horology. The contemporary landscape of British watchmaking continues this proud heritage, revered amongst today’s collectors due to the late George Daniels, followed by his protegé, Roger Smith whose Number 2 pocket watch achieved $4.9 million at Phillips New York in 2023 - the highest price ever for a British timepiece, and of course Charles Frodsham & Co. Ltd., which are the world’s longest continuously trading firm of chronometer manufacturers, with the formidable Double-Impulse Chronometer wristwatch released in 2018, and the result of 16 years of development work, further pushing hand-made British watchmaking to the forefront of modern horology.
Charles Frodsham (1810-1871) was a renowned British watchmaker born into a dynasty of clock, watch, and chronometer makers, becoming one of the leading horological figures of the 19th century. His father William James Frodsham was a respected clockmaker, and out of ten children, five apprenticed with their father and entered the trade. Charles showed early promise in watchmaking, submitting two chronometers, numbers 1 & 2 to the 1830 Premium Trails at Greenwich. Number 2 won the second Premium prize of 170 sterling, establishing his reputation for quality. Charles Frodsham & Co. was founded in 1834 and quickly became known for producing precision timepieces. Frodsham would purchase Arnold's firm in 1843, adapting their numbering sequence for his own watches begun in 1761, and continuing in sequence to this day for Charles Frodsham & Co.’s contemporary watches. In 1854, Charles Frodsham succeeded Benjamin Lewis Vulliamy as the Superintendent and Keeper of Her Majesty's Clocks at Buckingham Palace. Appointed as chronometer maker to the Admiralty, by the mid 1850s, he had established himself as a preeminent watchmaker known for exceptional craftsmanship and innovation.
When Charles died in 1871, the firm, under his son Harrison Mill Frodsham’s guidance, continued to be recognized for precision timekeepers. Frodsham sent marine chronometers to the Royal Observatory trials attaining first place in 1871 and 1885, and played a crucial role in improving the accuracy of chronometers, helping to advance British maritime trade and exploration.
Equally, Frodsham sent a number of high-grade watches, including tourbillons, to the Kew Observatory for Kew “A” testing between 1884 and 1912 with the tourbillon No. 09182 receiving the highest marks ever for an English watch tested at Kew, with, 93.9 marks out of 100.
The present Charles Frodsham clock watch is a horological tour de force equal to and in some cases exceeding the innovation and craftsmanship found on the finest complicated wristwatches manufactured today. Weighing in at a hefty 454.1 grams – 1 full pound – and measuring an incredible 75mm in diameter, this timepiece must be seen in person to fully appreciate what has to be considered one of the most important and finest English watches ever produced. In fact, it is 1 mm larger in diameter than the Patek Philippe Henry Graves Jr. Supercomplication. The case was made to the best of English standard, with a turning pendant and the use of 5-knuckle hinges for the inner cuvette and caseback.
The clock watch is a mechanical marvel combining the functions of both a watch and a clock, and were exceptionally made by the finest makers during the 17th, 18th, 19th, and 20th centuries. While indicating the hours, minutes, and seconds like a standard pocket watch, a clock watch also strikes the time with a chiming mechanism. The present clock watch features not only a minute repeater, but also a grande sonnerie complication that chimes the hours and quarters hours at each quarter. It is fitted with a discrete lever under the bezel allowing the owner to enable or silence the grande sonnerie function, as well as a slide at 4 o’clock for actuating the minute repeater. The going train and striking mechanism are each wound by rotating the crown in opposite directions, respectively.
Frodsham was well-known for precision watches including movements with tourbillon, in which the escapement is driven by the revolving carriage, and Karrusels with the escapement driven by the train. In both cases, these complex mechanics are used to counteract the effects of vertical positional errors and are seen as the pinnacle of watchmaking due to the skill required to manufacture and assemble them.
The present watch numbered 09649, and the companion piece numbered 09572, today in a private collection, feature Nicole Nielson tourbillons, which are considered the finest of the era. Nicole, Nielson & Co was a leading movement manufacturer in the late 19th/early 20th century, known for their complications like the tourbillon carriage and patented chronographs with fly back mechanisms.
This clock watch has a spectacular, hand-made dial with engine-turned center and polished chapter ring with black Roman numerals complimented by gold polished subsidiary rings for day of the week, months, leap year indication, date, and seconds with moon phase indication. Breguet-style hands indicate the hours and minutes. The dial is breathtaking in its beauty, and superbly preserved.
When this watch was first offered at auction in 1989, the consignor had inherited the watch from his father, the original owner. A true renaissance man, he was a surgeon of Scottish heritage born in New York, and an accomplished investment banker, frequently using this Charles Frodsham Clock Watch on his three-masted, 147-foot schooner named “Cuttysark” during voyages to the Caribbean. During World War I, he was the General Manager of the American Red Cross in France with the rank of Colonel, and it was suggested that he purchased the watch at that time. The present consignor has owned the watch since its purchase at that auction, and it remains in the identical state of preservation, having never been used since then.
Today’s most experienced collectors are keen for rare and unique watches made by hand from the finest horological masters. The present lot is without any doubt, the finest and one of the most complicated timepieces ever made by Charles Frodsham, and quite possibly one of the most important British timepieces ever made. The impressive size, the superb combination of complications, the immaculate condition, and its ultimate rarity come together to make this a museum-quality timepiece that will exceed the demands of even the most demanding scholars, connoisseurs, and collectors.
PROPERTY FROM A PRESTIGIOUS FAMILY COLLECTION
95
An extremely rare, exceptional, and historically important open face yellow gold minute repeating grande sonnerie clock watch with tourbillon, perpetual calendar, and moon phase
1917
75mm Diameter
Case London hallmarks for 1917, casemaker initials “HMF” for Harrison Mill Frodsham, dial signed Frodsham, backplate signed “Chas. Frodsham, 27 South Molton St. London, by appointment to the King” with Royal and honor cyphers, numbered 09649 and ADFmsz
Estimate
$200,000 - 400,000
CHF182,000-364,000
€184,000-368,000
HK$1,560,000-3,120,000
Sold for $533,400
Paul Boutros
Deputy Chairman, Watches, Head of Watches, Americas
+1 (212) 940-1293
watchesny@phillips.com
Isabella Proia
Head of Sale, New York
+1 (212) 940 1285
iproia@phillips.com
The New York Watch Auction: X
New York Auction 8 - 9 June 2024
19
This lot is no longer available.
34
This lot is no longer available.
