French watch presented for rescue at high seas Circa 1870

Gold hunting cased pocket watch by Breguet
–
Very fine French hunting cased pocket watch presented to Captain William Urquhart for rescue at high seas, circa 1870.
18 carat rose gold case with gold hinged cuvette, front with coat of arms, back with engraved initials and inscription for Captain Urquhart inside front cover. White enamel dial with Roman hours, outer red minutes, secret signature below 12 and gold spade hands. Movement is a rhodiumed bar caliber with 19 jewels, lever escapement and gold screw compensation balance.
–
Diameter: 50 mm
–
Signed: Breguet à Paris
–
Captain Urquhart’s claim to fame came from his role in rescuing passengers from the French liner “Ville du Havre”, which was the second largest in the world. It was rammed by the British sailing vessel “Loch Earn” in the middle of the Atlantic on the night of November 21, 1873. Captain Urquhart was in command of the American ship “Trimountain” and was heavily involved in the rescue of the survivors of the “Ville duHavre”. For this he was honoured by the owners of the “Ville du Havre”, the Companie Generale Transantlatique which presented him with this precious watch.