English gold quarter repeating pocket watch Circa 1852

Gold hunting cased keywound pocket watch
–
An important English 18 carat gold quarter repeating full hunter pocket watch made by Hunt & Roskell in London circa 1852. It once belonged to Emperor Napoléon III and was given by Empress Eugénie to Jacques Muller, the Emperor’s first valet de chambre. (Souvenir de l’empereur Napoléon III.) The watch features a mechanical movement with key winding, a three quarter plate, lever escapement, and strikes the hours and quarters on request. It has a white enamel dial with Roman numerals, is signed Hunt & Roskell London, features an outer minute railway track, and has fine blued iron hands. The gold case is engraved on the front with the large imperial coat of arms. The reverse is engraved L.N beneath an imperial crown surmounted by a five pointed star set with a diamond, within a laurel wreath tied with a green enamel bow. It has British hallmarks: date letter R (1852), crown, leopard’s head, 18 (carat), and maker’s mark G.H. and B.E.
–
Diameter: 55 mm
–
Signed: Hunt & Roskell, London
–
Louis Napoleon III (1808–1873) was the nephew of Napoleon I and served as President of the Second Republic of France. In 1852, he ascended to the position of Emperor of the French. His reign, which lasted two prosperous decades, ended in 1870 following the defeat of his army in the Franco Prussian War. Charles-Louis-François Glardon (1825–1887) was a renowned Swiss enameller celebrated for his exceptionally fine enamel portraits. He was a skilled draughtsman who aimed to “paint on the paste exactly as one paints on a canvas” (Emaux et Miniatures, Musée d’art et d’histoire, Genève, 1955, p. 20). He received his training from his equally famous and talented brother, Jacques Aimé Glardon (1815–1862). Alfred Stram was a prolific London based watch case maker who collaborated with various high quality watchmaking companies.
–
Hunt & Roskell (1843 – 1897) English watch manufacturer.
The company was originally founded by the renowned gold and silversmith Paul Storr. When Storr formed a partnership with John Mortimer and John Samuel Hunt, in addition to their original trade in gold, silverware, and jewellery, they began selling watches from their store on New Bond Street. The partnership ended in 1838; Mortimer, along with JS and J. Hunt, continued trading as Mortimer & Hunt at 156 New Bond Street. In 1843, Robert Roskell joined the company, which operated under the name Hunt & Roskell until its acquisition by JW Benson in 1866. Hunt & Roskell also operated in Manchester, where they manufactured watches for the Chinese market, as well as fine minute repeaters and watches with tourbillons and spring escapements. In 1867, Hunt & Roskell exhibited at the Paris World’s Fair. From 1843 to 1849, Charles Frederick Hancock was a business partner in the company.
–
In 1844, the firm was listed with John Samuel Hunt (partner), John Hunt (partner), Robert Roskell (partner), Charles Frederick Hancock (partner), Charles Mugoeridge (associate), Thomas Nicholls (associate), Charles Fines (employee), Joseph Headford (apprentice), William Frampton (apprentice), and other individuals such as Rothing, Day, and John Dixon (supervisor), likely to be John Dixon Metcalfe, a clerk at Storr and Mortimer.