LONDON.- The most important private collection of English watches to ever come to the market is to be offered at Sotheby’s London over the course of four sales between December 2015 and December 2016. Entitled “The Celebration of the English Watch”, this landmark collection provides a snapshot of British history through the pocket watch. It also brilliantly traces the evolution of watchmaking from the 17th-century to modern day and the supremacy of England at pivotal moments of horology history.

Inspired by passion and curiosity, the collection is the culmination of years of searching for the best examples in wondrous condition with superb provenance. The English watchmakers represented read as a Who’s Who of British Horological giants, including David Ramsay, Edward East, Thomas Tompion, John Ellicott, Thomas Mudge, John Arnold, George Margetts, The Vuillamy’s, Thomas Cummins, Victor Kullberg, Charles Frodsham through to the 20th century horological icon, George Daniels. Each is world renowned for their ground-breaking advancements and for leaving their indelible mark on the history of British horology. Equally, extraordinary watches with exquisite decoration are found in the collection and pay tribute to the finest engravers, chasers, and enamellers working in England.

Put together over the past 20 years, this historic collection comprises 314 lots, estimated to fetch between £6 and 9.5 million. The first of the four auctions, to take place on 15th December 2015, will pay homage to “David Ramsay and the First Clockmaker’s Court”. Coinciding with the recent transfer of the Clockmakers' Company Museum collection to the Science Museum in London, the sale will be highlighted by works by ten masters active in the first 20 years of the Clockmakers Company (1631-1651).

Commenting on the collection, Tim Bourne, Sotheby’s Worldwide Head of Watches and Daryn Schnipper, Chairman of Sotheby’s Watch Division, said: “English horology is set apart by its brilliant makers and their individual stories - whether it be John Harrison’s unwavering resolve to determine longitude at sea, or George Daniels’ struggle to revolutionise the future of watchmaking. This landmark collection captures that spirit and encourages us to look at pocket watches in a new and exciting way. Timepieces like these are not only exceptional watches, they are pieces of history.”

SALES CALENDAR
• Part I: David Ramsay and the First Clockmaker’s Court, 15th December 2015
• Part II: John Harrison’s Enduring Discovery, 7th July 2016
• Part III: The Genius of Thomas Tompion, 20th September 2016
• Part IV: George Daniels, 20th Century Innovator, 15th December 2016

A SHORT HISTORY OF THE ENGLISH WATCH
“Watchmaking spread to England from the Continent during the last quarter of the 16th century. By the end of the 17th century the quality of English watch was such that they were in great demand, and they were sold throughout Europe. The reputation continued and was further enhanced during the 18th century by a series of pioneering inventions: it was during this period when the greatest contribution to the history of horology was made in England. Exports were now worldwide. The high standards were maintained and some watches of quite exceptional quality were produced in the 19th century and early 20th centuries.” Terence Camerer Cuss, The English Watch 1585-1970: A unique alliance of art, design and inventive genius, Antique Collectors Club, 2009.

HIGHLIGHTS FROM THE COLLECTION
PART I David Ramsay and the First Clockmaker’s Court, 15th December 2015
The December sale will present a group of 97 pocket watches, including works and inventions by the best makers following the changes in style and design from the 16th through to the 20th century. Led by David Ramsay, the selection features eminent signatures of each era, such as Richard Bowen, Thomas Tompion, John Halsted, George Graham, John Ellicott, Alexander Cumming, James Cox, John Arnold, Barraud, Charles Frodsham and S. Smiths & Son.

DAVID RAMSAY A rare silver and gilt-metal royal oval verge watch with astronomical dial and engraved portrait miniature of King James I circa 1618 Est. £150,000 - 250,000
The star lot of the sale is a Royal oval astronomical watch with an engraved portrait of King James I by David Ramsay. Considered one of the finest makers from the early 17th century, Ramsay was the first master of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers at its formation in 1632, as well as the Chief Clockmaker to the King. The engraving to the covers depicting the Royal Coat of Arms and miniature of King James I are of exceptional quality. A similar watch by Ramsay can be found on permanent loan in the Victorian & Albert Museum. Both watches were presumably made at around the same time by order of the King.

RICHARD BOWEN A rare and historically significant silver astronomical verge watch with engraving of Charles I based on a 17th century engraving by William Marshall, circa 1660 Est. £60,000 - 80,000
The engraving on this watch’s outer case is a faithful rendering of a scene after William Marshall (1617-1649), produced immediately following Charles I’s execution in 1649. It was used for a frontispiece of Eikon Basilike published the same year. The Eikon Basilike which proved very popular contains a combination of prayers and contemplations, supposedly by Charles I right before his death. The book portrays him as a martyred, pious king, and was published shortly after his beheading. It is most likely the engraving was done soon after the Restoration of the monarchy in 1660. This watch was part of the extensive collection formed by Ralph Bernal and dispersed in 1855.

JOHN ARNOLD, LONDON An extraordinary and important gold half quarter dumb repeating consular cased pocket chronometer of “the Best Kind” 1782, No. 39/88 Est. £125,000-200,000
John Arnold refers to the present watch as “the Best Kind”, a term he reserved for his large chronometers. The movement of this watch is one of only a handful that exist with their original short spring detents and it is the earliest form of spring detent that Arnold used. No.39/88 is the only Arnold watch with the short spring detent to retain its original case.

DANIEL QUARE, LONDON An important gold two-train quarter striking and quarter repeating pair cased clock watch with regulator aperture Circa 1712 -1714, No. 324 Est. £70,000-100,000
Daniel Quare (1649-1724) was a highly esteemed watchmaker of his day. Until recently this extremely rare watch was unrecorded. It is the only example of similar size, with quarter repeating and rack quarter striking from this or any earlier period to have survived. Furthermore, only one other watch with a jewelled escape wheel, potence and counter potence of similar date and also by Quare, remains today.

ELLICOTT, LONDON An extremely fine gold and enamel pair cased half-quarter repeating watch with scene “The Borghese Dancers” by George Michael Moser Circa 1770, No. 6528 Est. £ 60,000-90,000
This watch magnificently combines the inventive genius of the great watchmaker Ellicott with the work of one of the most renowned artists and enamellers of the 18th century, George Michael Moser. Moser was drawing master to George III and well known in England as the finest enameller and chaser of watch cases. The scene to the outer case of this spectacular watch relates to a 1693 engraving entitled “Nuptiales choreae” (Borghese Dancers) by P.S. Bartoli. Moser adapted it into a delightful scene of maidens celebrating a wedding. It is possible that the watch was originally intended as a wedding gift.

Part II: John Harrison’s Enduring Discovery, 7th July 2016
THE JOHN HARRISON PORTRAIT WATCH by James Barton A historically important yellow gold pair cased verge watch with a portrait of John Harrison attributed to George Michael Moser No. 1420 circa 1771/2 Est. £200,000 - 400,000
John Harrison, the man who found Longitude, is immortalised here in a watch made by his son-in-law James Barton. The portrait executed en grisaille enamel is attributed to George Michael Moser.

Part III: The Genius of Thomas Tompion, 20th September 2016
THOMAS TOMPION A yellow gold pair cased quarter repeating watch circa 1708 Est.: £150,000 – 250,000
Regarded as the greatest English clockmaker, Thomas Tompion pioneered many timekeeping mechanisms. His inventions were the foundations upon which the 18th-century makers, such as George Graham, Thomas Mudge, John Harrison, Thomas Earnshaw, and John Arnold, were to build in their successful searches for accuracy, especially with respect to determining longitude at sea. Tompion’s genius is displayed in highly important royal and noble commissions, including two clocks for the newly erected Royal Observatory in Greenwich in 1676.

Part IV: George Daniels, 20th Century Innovator, 15th December 2016
The comprehensive nature of the collection culminates in watchmaking innovations that continued through the 19th and 20th centuries.
GEORGE DANIELS A gold one-minute spring-detent chronometer tourbillon watch, circa 1970 Made for the eminent Collector Edward Hornby Est. £150,000 – 250,000
This collection of British horological masterpieces is completed by a one-minute spring-detent chronometer tourbillon watch by one of the greatest watchmakers of the 20th century, Dr. George Daniels. Not only did Daniels develop the co-axial escapement, the biggest development in horology since Thomas Mudge’s invention of the lever escapement in 1754, but he also mastered the 30 or so trades necessary to construct a watch entirely by hand. His contribution to the world of the mechanical watch continues to inspire the art of the master watchmaker today.

CHARLES FRODSHAM, London A fine yellow gold open-faced minute repeating split-seconds chronograph watch with one minute tourbillon and 60 minute register presented to William Gould Harding by J.P. Morgan No 08920 Ad Fmsz circa 1902/3 Est. £150,000 – 250,000
The prestigious London family firm of Charles Frodsham & Co produced many highly complicated pieces. A superb example in this collection is a yellow gold minute repeating split second tourbillon watch, circa 1902/3 presented by the banker J. Pierpont Morgan to William Gould Harding when the latter was made a partner of the Morgan bank. It became tradition in the Morgan family to present such fine timepieces to employees and partners to recognise their outstanding contributions to the business or to the Morgan family.