18k Gold Savonnette Pocket Watch Gifted to General de Gaulle
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa late 19th century
This 18k gold savonnette pocket watch is identified by the auction description as a piece of Swiss manufacture dating from the late 19th century. The watch features a round, hinged case with exterior covers decorated with engraved, stylized foliage motifs.
The case back is centered by an inscription reading "Muhammad Al Amin Pasha 1298." Internally, the dust cover contains a handwritten-style engraving reading "En souvenir au Général De Gaulle Tunis 7 Mai 1944." The watch possesses a white enamel dial with Roman numeral hour markers, stylized hands, a railway minute track, and a subsidiary seconds dial. It is powered by a crown-wound mechanical movement. The auction documentation states that the watch has a gross weight of 136 grams and a diameter of 60 mm.
The provenance is traced through Charles de Gaulle, Philippe de Gaulle, and their descendants.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Technical characteristics
- Type
- Savonnette pocket watch
- Diameter
- 60 mm
- Material
- 18k yellow gold (750)
- Provenance
- Charles de Gaulle to Philippe de Gaulle
- Gross Weight
- 136 g
- Inscriptions
- Muhammad Al Amin Pasha 1298
- Serial Number
- 242802
- Place recorded
- Switzerland
- Maker / attribution
- Swiss
- Dedicated Inscription
- En souvenir au Général De Gaulle Tunis 7 Mai 1944
Design
- Visible features
- • Engraved foliated patterns on the exterior case • White enamel dial with subsidiary seconds at the 6 o'clock position • Inscription on the interior dust cover noting a 1944 presentation date • Crown-wound mechanism indicated by the prominent winding button
- Dial and Movement
- The watch utilizes a classic white enamel dial, which provides a clean surface for the black Roman numeral hour indices. It is equipped with stylized hands and a railway-style minute track, which circles the periphery of the dial. A secondary register for the seconds is positioned at the 6 o'clock marker. The mechanical movement is accessed by opening the dust cover and is intended to be wound by the crown. The design of the movement and the watch as a whole is attributed by the cataloguer to Swiss manufacture intended for the Ottoman market.
- Case and External Features
- The watch is housed in a round, 18k yellow gold savonnette case, characterized by its hinged, protective outer covers. The rear cover displays a shield-shaped cartouche containing an inscription, identified as "Muhammad Al Amin Pasha 1298." The case construction includes a hinged dust cover which acts as an internal plate to protect the movement. This surface features technical notations, the serial number 242802, and the dedicated engraving commemorating the gift to General de Gaulle in May 1944. The watch is wound via a crown located at the 12 o'clock position, consistent with late 19th-century savonnette designs.
- Provenance and Presentation
- The object is noted for its documented association with General Charles de Gaulle. According to the provided family history, the watch was presented to him by the Bey of Tunis on May 7, 1944, to mark the anniversary of the liberation of Tunis. Following the death of the General in 1970, the item passed to his son, the Admiral Philippe de Gaulle, and subsequently to his descendants. The inclusion of the "Muhammad Al Amin Pasha" inscription connects the watch to the local administration in Tunisia during its period as a territory under Ottoman influence, bridging its late 19th-century origins with its mid-20th-century historical significance.
Identification
- Serial number
- 242802
- Source note
- Facts transcribed from the linked source listing or collection record. Attribution and specifications are source-reported and have not been independently authenticated.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: The exact identity of the local Pacha associated with the engraved Tughra remains unconfirmed
- Research required: The current functional state of the movement is not fully assessed beyond the auction's recommendation for revision