Historically important French gold lever watch Circa 1910-1911

Gift to an Indian House of Princes by Cartier
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A unique and historically important French 18 carat gold, platinum and grey-blue enamel open faced lever pocket watch, a gift of the English Royal House under George V. as the Emperor of India to an Indian House of Princes, circa 1910-1911. Cartier precision lever movement, stripe decoration, 18 jewels, adjusted in eight positions. Engine turned dial with Arabic hours and outer minute divisions, blued steel Breguet hands. Super thin case, engine-turned enamel on both sides with white rim, the back with applied platinum Indian Prince’s monogram with sword and crown set with rose-cut diamonds. Dial signed, movement signed and numbered. Comes with the original box and documentation from the archives of Cartier.
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Diameter: 44 mm
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Weight: 47 g
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Signed: Cartier Paris
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This is a unique piece that was manufactured by Cartier in 1910/1911. The pocket watch was a gift from the English Royal family to one of the many Indian princes’ dynasties that belonged to the British Empire from 1858 to 1947 and was run as a crown colony under the name British India.
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The peculiarity of the British-Indian relationship was that only half of the country was directly British ruled, the rest was under the influence and rule of the Houses of Princes. In order to maintain personal loyalty and to maintain the relationship with the English Crown, it was common that lavish gifts were regularly given to these princes families.
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In Hans Nadelhoffer ‘Cartier’ it says: “…The first important contacts with the Maharajas were made during the celebrations of the George V coronation in 1911, the same year when Jacques Cartier made his first trip to India. The trip lasted 16 days. To his surprise, he noted that the Maharajas who welcomed him to their empire were mostly interested in pocket watches, which were popular in Paris and London at the time.” According to Nadelhoffer ‘Cartier’ the following order can be found among other things in the Cartier archive documents: “A blue enamelled pocket watch, made for the Maharaja of Kapurthala”, whose coat of arms is decorated with a sword and a crown and who received the title of Maharaja in 1911. So this watch, which was made in the same year, could be exactly this one.