DESCRIPTION:
APW - Waltham, Presidential presentation Model 1872, Riverside, 15J, heavy 18K gold original HC with "M W K" initials to front shield, gold cuvette engraved "Presented by the President of the United States to Captain Miles Kirkpatrick of the British Steamer West Cumberland, for his humanity and bravery displayed in effecting the rescue of the crew and passengers of the American Schooner Millie G. Bowne, Dec. 22 - 1889," white enamel SS dial, SW-LS, nickel damascene, s#3247700. Gross weight of assembled watch 91.5 dwt (142.3 g). An excellent example of a Presidential presentation Waltham, this piece dating to the term of President Benjamin Harrison. A terrific account of the rescue behind this presentation is found in an article titled "Rescued and at Home" which was written in the January 3rd, 1890 issue of "The Boston Globe" and with our photos we have included a digital image of this article. In short: the Millie G. Bowne was a four-masted schooner that was launched in October of 1889 but was grievously damaged by a hurricane over a span of four days from December 12th to 15th of 1889. On December 16th the storm abated to the extent that the crew of Millie G. Bowne could set distress signals, and on December 22nd the occupants of the ship were rescued by Captain Miles W. Kirkpatrick's vessel and the Millie G. Bowne was set ablaze and scuttled at sea. Please also see our photos for digital images of articles found in the October 26th, 1889 issue of the "Evening Express" (of Portland, Maine) and the October 31st, 1889 issue of "The Boston Globe" which give additional information on the Millie G. Bowne.
CONDITION:
Mvt: Running after a sluggish start, nearly mint cosmetic mvt condition overall, bright lustrous surfaces, plates with some micro-fine scratches, winding wheels with some small spots of oxide; nearly flawless dial with short perimeter scratch outside minute chapter at 7, micro-fine scratch above seconds-register; excellent hour and seconds-hand, fine minute with oxide to tip; case shows hardly any wear, cuvette with some fine scratches from slipped past openings which reach into the lower-right perimeter of its engraving and with some additional shorter scratches in the area outside its engraving, lower front with some abrasions and fine scratches adjacent hinge area, ding to band at 12, some nicks elsewhere to band, no dents, excellent engine turning detail with only slight reduction at portions of shoulder; tight bow, crown shows very little wear; good glass crystal.
ESTIMATE:
$4000
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$7000
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