Swiss gold and enamel hunting cased pocket watch Circa 1896

Gold pocket watch
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A fine Swiss 18 carat gold full hunter enamelled pocket watch together with original fitted box, chain and setting tool, spare spring, kew a chronometer certificate and framed letter, circa 1896. Case and Movement numbered. Made 1896.
Jewelled manual wind bar movement with cut and compensated balance wheel and over coiled spring, swan neck regulation. Polished round case with JC for John Chiene enamelled in blue and red on the front and the date of 1897, gold cuvette with engraved dedication from James Russell to John Chiene and signed by the maker U. Montandon-Robert, Genève, together with original fitted and numbered wooden box containing the spare springs, mentioned in the accompanying letter, 18ct gold link chain, Class A Kew Certificate and numbered booklet, and a framed accompanying letter from the purchaser to John Chiene.
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Diameter: 51 mm
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Signed: Robert Montandon
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The hand written letter accompanying this lot states the following:

“Woodville,
Canaan Lane,
Edinburgh.
30th January 1897

My Dear Chiene,

I wished to give you a New Year present in memory of my father and as a token of my affectionate regard for you, and lest you should miss the true longitude of Hungry… when returning from the May I selected a watch (half chronometer) which I hope that you will accept and use in navigating your way. Your initials are on the front and your name on the inside at the back. The case was only made in December and as the enamelling of the initials did not please the maker, he had them done over again and hence the delay.

The maker writes to say that you will wind it regularly once a day morning (preferable) or evening, that you will check the flyback of the cover with the finger when opening. He says that it is set just now to gain 3/4 second per day. It will lose the gaining rate after some months & gradually take a losing rate. In the box you will find a tool for touching the regulating screw as well as a spare spring (springs break of themselves no one knows why) & spare glasses. To set hands pull winding crown away from the watch. It will let go the winding mechanism & seize the hands. After setting remember to push back the winding crown towards the watch. The following documents which accompany the watch should be carefully preserved;

1 ‘Especially Good’ A Certificate from Kew
2 Abstract of log of performance of 45 days in Kew Observatory
3 First class certificate with log of 45 days in Geneva observatory
4 Log of 45 days performance which competing for International prizes given by the Geneva Society of Arts scoring the Exhibition through last summer when this watch was .. of the art of time that gained a £20 prize for the maker.

You must be careful; for an error of the one second of time might throw you east or west over 200 yds in the latitude of Hungry m…., yours ever, James Russell”

Footnote:
During the Boer War ( 1899-1902) the British Army’s medical services became so over-extended that they summoned the help of several civilian-staffed hospitals. Professor Chiene, already in fairly advanced years but a well known medical doctor and a highly respected published University lecturer, was largely responsible for the organisation of the Edinburgh field hospital and travelled to South Africa as its senior surgeon.