Gold watch made for Queen Amelie of France by Henri Motel
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
circa 1840
According to the Science Museum Group, this gold pocket watch was made in Paris circa 1840 by Henri Jean-Francois Motel. The piece features a white enamel dial signed 'hri Motel hges de la Marine Rle No.
48' with Roman numerals and subsidiary seconds. The source reports an engine-turned gold case and a movement with a pivoted detent escapement, a four-arm compensation balance, a conical balance spring without terminal curve, and jewelling to the centre. It is accompanied by a mahogany deck box bearing a silver plate inscribed 'Don de la Reine Amelie H H', and an engraved equation-of-time table on the cuvette.
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
- Date
- circa 1840
- Type
- Deck watch
- Maker
- Henri Jean-Francois Motel
- Escapement
- Pivoted detent escapement
- Dial signature
- hri Motel hges de la Marine Rle No. 48
- Place recorded
- France
- Box Inscription
- Don de la Reine Amelie H H
- Maker / attribution
- Henri Jean-Francois Motel
Design
- Visible features
- • White enamel dial with black Roman numerals and an outer track • Dial signed in script below 12 o'clock 'hri Motel / hger de la Marine Rle' • Subsidiary seconds register at 6 o'clock inscribed 'No. 48' with Arabic ten-second numerals • Blued or darkened hands with pierced circular open tips • Yellow gold case with reeded bezel rim and round pendant ring at 12 o'clock
- Case and Associated Housing
- The watch is housed in an engine-turned gold case with a reeded bezel rim and a round pendant ring at 12 o'clock. The watch is accompanied by a mahogany deck box. The exterior of the box features a silver plate inscribed with the text 'Don de la Reine Amelie H H'.
- Dial and Exterior Presentation
- The timepiece features a white enamel dial with Roman numerals and an outer track. The dial is signed 'hri Motel hges de la Marine Rle No. 48' in script below the 12 o'clock position. A subsidiary seconds register is located at 6 o'clock, featuring Arabic ten-second numerals. The hands are described as steel and are observed in the photograph with pierced circular open tips.
- Internal Mechanism Specifications
- The movement is recorded as having a pivoted detent escapement. It utilizes a four-arm compensation balance and a conical balance spring without a terminal curve, with jewelling to the centre. The cuvette is engraved with an equation-of-time table.
Identification
- Object Number
- L2015-4040
- Serial number
- 48
- 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: Internal movement specifications, equation-of-time cuvette, and mahogany deck box are described by the museum record but not visible in this dial-side photograph