English quarter repeating royal presentation watch Circa 1861

Gold with diamonds, emeralds and ruby set watch by Charles Frodsham
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A rare and interesting English gold, diamond, emerald and ruby set half hunter cased quarter repeating royal presentation watch, circa 1861. Rretailed by R.S. Garrard & Co., London, with the crown and cypher of Queen Victoria and Prince Albert. The timepiece showcases a gilded movement with lever escapement, bi metallic compensation balance, diamond end stone, and striking gongs with small polished steel hammers. It is signed and numbered Chas. Frodsham, located at 84 Strand, London 01736, and includes a gold cuvette with apertures for winding and hand setting. The watch features a white enamel dial adorned with elegant Roman numerals, an outer minute ring and exquisite gold double spade hands. It bears the signature of R. S. Garrard & Co., London.
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The gold case is adorned with a back featuring a diamond, emerald, and ruby-set VA Cypher for Victoria and Albert beneath a crown. The inside bears personal engraving, Von I.M.d. Königin von Grossbritannien und Irland 1. Juli 1862, and the front has a glazed aperture surrounded by blue enamel Roman numerals and a diamond-set border. It also has a short sunken repeating slide to the band, a gold cuvette, and is hallmarked 1861, with the case back bearing the maker’s mark FM for Frederick Matthews, Clerkenwell, and the cuvette featuring the maker’s mark JWS for James Walter Scott, along with the number 01736. The pendant is marked with the maker’s mark. The timepiece comes with a matching key mounted with a diamond set VA cypher and crown.
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Diameter: 48 mm
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Signed: Chas. Frodsham, located at 84 Strand, London
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The dial is free of any marks or visible cracks, and the case is in good condition with all stones intact. There are some minor scratches on the case due to its age, but overall it is well-maintained. However, there is no glass on the front aperture of the case. The watch ran when wound, but the slide repeat is a little loose and not activating, so it will require some attention. Additionally, it is lacking a couple of small diamonds.
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The engraving on the watch would suggest that this watch was presented by Queen Victoria and Prince Albert on the occasion of the marriage between their daughter Princess Alice Maud Mary and Ludwig IV, Grand Duke of Hesse and by Rhine on the 1st July 1862.
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Charles Frodsham, a distinguished horologist, was born on April 15, 1810, and he died on January 11, 1871. Soon after marrying Elizabeth Mill (1813–1879), he founded his own business at 7 Finsbury Pavement, London. He rapidly established himself as a leading London chronometer maker. With the death of another major chronometer maker, John Roger Arnold (son of the eminent John Arnold), Charles acquired the Arnold business in 1843, moving his family and business address to 84 Strand, London.
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Trading as Arnold & Frodsham until 1858, when the firm Charles Frodsham was officially established. Through his many publications and timepieces, Frodsham dedicated himself to the exploration and improvement of timekeeping in its many forms, achieving acclaim for his work, from chronometers to barometers. The Frodsham balance, which was designed for phenomenal accuracy, can be found in coach clocks and some mantel clocks dating to as early as 1851. Frodsham was a founding member, and later Vice President, of the British Horological Institute and a Liveryman of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, of which he became free in 1845 and in which he served as Master in 1855 and 1862.
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On the death of Benjamin Lewis Vulliamy (1780–1854), Frodsham purchased the goodwill of the Vulliamy business and, on the recommendation of Airy, succeeded Vulliamy as ‘Superintendent and Keeper of Her Majesty’s Clocks at Buckingham Palace’, cementing the firm’s position as leading international clockmakers. In 1855, Frodsham won the Gold Medal of Honour at the Paris Exhibition. In 1862, he was awarded the Medal of Honour for his service as a juror at the Great International
Exhibition in South Kensington. He continued to achieve recognition at exhibitions from Russia to Paris.
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Charles Frodsham excelled at his art until he died of liver disease at the age of 60. Upon Charles’s death, his son, Harrison Mill Frodsham (1849–1922), took charge of the firm and incorporated it in 1893 as Charles Frodsham & Co. Ltd. He proved to be an able horologist and businessman, and the firm continued to flourish. It continues today, specialising in fine precision timepieces.