English gold minute repeater with chronograph Circa 1891

Gold complicated pocket watch
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The Corsair watch’ is a fine and important yellow gold open faced minute repeating split seconds chronograph watch with register, circa 1891. Presented to J Frederic Tams in 1891 by JP Morgan as a souvenir for building the yacht Corsair. Three quarter plate nickel lever movement, jewelled with some set in chatons, hammers on gongs for repeat, white enamel dial, Roman numerals, outer minute track with 1/5 second divisions, subsidiary dials for the 60-minute register and constant seconds, 18k yellow gold case, recessed slide for repeat to the band, gold and activated via coaxial crown, split second pusher at 11 o’clock, gold hand setting-button with gold olivette, with London hallmarks for 1891 and maker’s mark HMF for Harrison Mills Frodsham.
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Diameter: 54 mm
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Signed: Charles Frodsham  London
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The present Frodsham distinguishes itself from other contemporary examples as the movement is composed of British and Swiss parts, noted as “Part Swiss” on the movement, and finished in a traditional American style of nickel with engine turning. Nevertheless, the similarities in movement construction are present: a column wheel chronograph mechanism, a similar bridge layout, and a three-quarter plate. 

Amongst a number of eminent worldwide Charles Frodsham clients, perhaps the most famous, was the Morgan family of New York. Frodsham was the Morgan’s preferred choice for quality timepieces. The association began when Junius Morgan became a business partner in the English branch of the banking house, George Peabody & Co., in 1854. The purchase and maintenance of fine clocks and watches for the Morgan family were continued by John Pierpont Morgan (1837-1913) who in 1891 presented a complicated watch to his friend and designer J. Frederick Tams on the completion of Morgan’s yacht, Corsair II. The ‘Morgan caliper’ watches were presentation pieces given by J.P. and J.P. Jnr. to close friends and/or new partners of the firm of JP Morgan, thus starting the long tradition of Frodsham presentation watches, perpetuated to this day. All are engraved with presentation inscriptions (the recipients and JPM initials with the year of presentation), and many still retain their original red leather Frodsham boxes, similarly inscribed.  The present lot stands out since unlike many of the other Frodsham watches gifted by the Morgan family, this piece was presented to someone not associated with J.P. Morgan’s firm.

J.P. Morgan commissioned the construction of the Corsair II in 1890 to replace the original Corsair, which he felt lacked speed and size.  It had been about ten years since her construction and yacht technology and construction had progressed so much, he felt that his original boat was already out of date.   Morgan met the designer J. Frederick Tams at the Union Club and invited him to dinner to discuss a design for his new yacht.  During their meal, Tams voiced several criticisms of the original Corsair, remarking that it lacked ventilation and headroom in the cabins and that it vibrated too much since it was too lightly constructed to be out at sea.  Though he initially feared the reaction to his criticism, Morgan responded, “You are quite right.  Go ahead with your ideas” (Herbert Latterlee, J. Pierpont Morgan, An Intimate Portrait, 1939, p. 253).  He then gave Tams a blank checkbook to begin work on the yacht.

Tams hired the engineering firm Neafie & Levy from Philadelphia to build the Corsair II.  J. Beaver Webb designed the hull and engines, and Tams designed the interior rooms and ordered the furnishings and fittings for the yacht.  Tams and his colleagues spent the next year building the Corsair II which finished in the autumn of 1891.  Tams later remarked on his concern that Morgan did not approve of the yacht, as he initially gave no indication of his thoughts.  It was not until later, when Morgan sent him the present lot as a gift, that Tams understood Morgan’s appreciation for his work.  This marks one of the rare times when Morgan gifted a complicated Frodsham watch to an employee not associated with his company.  Morgan kept Corsair II until 1898 when he sold it to the U.S. Navy, and it was renamed the USS Gloucester.  She served in the Navy until 1919.