Charles Frodsham Minute Repeating Split-Seconds Chronograph with One-Minute Tourbillon
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
Circa 1928
Maker / issuer
Charles FrodshamThis open-faced keyless pocket watch by Charles Frodsham is encased in 18k yellow gold stamped with the maker's mark of Harrison Mills Frodsham. Dated circa 1928, it features a white enamel dial with black Roman numerals, two subsidiary dials, blued steel hands, and a central split-seconds chronograph mechanism alongside a minute repeater and a one-minute tourbillon.
The movement bears serial number 010303. The auction house reports this timepiece was ordered by J.P. Morgan Jr. and presented to senior partner Thomas Lamont; it is preserved in its fitted red case.
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
- Minute repeating split-seconds chronograph tourbillon pocket watch
- Material
- 18k yellow gold
- Accompaniment
- Fitted case with kick stand
- Complications
- Minute repeating, split-seconds chronograph, one-minute tourbillon
- Place recorded
- United Kingdom
- Case Maker Mark
- HMF (Harrison Mills Frodsham)
- Movement Number
- 010303
- Maker / attribution
- Charles Frodsham
Design
- Visible features
- • White enamel dial with black Roman hour numerals and outer minute calibrations. • Twin subsidiary dials positioned horizontally across the dial with blued hands. • Open-faced yellow gold case with ribbed winding crown and bow, presented within a red velvet-lined fitted box. • Dial signed 'CHAS FRODSHAM' above '010303.A.D.Fmsz'.
- Dial and External Presentation
- The pocket watch features an open-faced configuration with a white enamel dial, black Roman numerals for the hours, and outer minute calibrations. The dial is signed 'CHAS FRODSHAM' above '010303.A.D.Fmsz'. Two subsidiary registers are positioned horizontally across the dial with blued hands. The watch is encased in 18k yellow gold with a ribbed winding crown and rounded bow. It is accompanied by a red fitted box with a 'kick stand'.
- Case Marking and Movement Complications
- The case is stamped with the maker's mark 'HMF (Harrison Mills Frodsham)' and features an English hallmark year letter for 1928. The manual jewelled movement bears the number 010303 and is recorded as signed alongside the dial. The movement is catalogued as incorporating three complications: a minute repeater, a split-seconds chronograph with a 60-minute register, and a one-minute tourbillon. Because the dial is a solid enamel face, the internal repeating mechanism and tourbillon are not exposed from the front view.
- Reported Provenance and Dimensional Documentation
- According to the auction house's research, this timepiece belonged to a series commissioned by J.P. Morgan Jr. between 1898 and 1934 as gifts for partners or family members, and was reportedly given to J.P. Morgan & Co. senior partner Thomas Lamont (1870–1948). The source does not note any caseback engraving confirming this dedication. The source documentation contains a dimensional discrepancy: the specifications state a '62mm diameter', while the accompanying catalogue essay notes the watch as 'measuring a massive 63.5mm in diameter'.
Identification
- Serial number
- 010303
- 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 auction listing gives two different diameter measurements (62mm in specifications and 63.5mm in the catalogue essay).
- Research required: Tourbillon and repeating work are internal complications not directly visible from the dial perspective shown in the photograph.
- Research required: Historical provenance regarding J.P. Morgan Jr. and Thomas Lamont is source-reported.