Lot 31: Breguet. An historically important gold Montre à tact, presented by the Duke of Wellington to Commissary General William Booth Bought by the Duke of Wellington July 8, 1815

Breguet. An historically important gold Montre à tact, presented by the Duke of Wellington to Commissary General William Booth
Bought by the Duke of Wellington July 8, 1815
Date: Bought by the Duke of Wellington July 8, 1815Movement: Gilt souscription calibre with central spring barrel, ruby cylinder escapement with gold three arm balance and parachute suspension, flat blued spring with index regulator, No.2878Dial: White enamel, black Arabic numerals, outer 1/2 minute markers, single blued steel handCase: Engine turned hinged, Roman numerals to front with single a tact hand, touch pins around the band, inside front engraved with presentation inscription, cuvette secured by screw, Numbered 3387 and 2878Signed: Movement & cuvette, case maker's mark P.B.T in a triangleSize: 50mm

The watch is inscribed: "This Watch WORN BY Arthur Duke of Wellington in the WAR in SPAIN & at the BATTLE OF WATERLOO was presented by him to Deputy Commissary General WILLIAM BOOTH 1833"William Booth, (1792 – 1880) was an officer in the British Army Commissary and close friend of the Duke of Wellington. Booth joined the service in 1808 and then Wellington's headquarters shortly before the battle of Talavera in 1809. He was to remain on Wellington's staff until the end of the Peninsular War in 1814. He served in Spain, Portugal and the Netherlands. His General Service Medal had clasps for Corunna, Talavera, Busaco, Salamanca, Vittoria, The Pyrenees, Nivelle, Nives, Orthes and Toulouse.He then oversaw the commissary accounts with the army of occupation in France between 1815 and 1818. Booth was appointed Principal Clerk to the Survey of Ordnance at Dublin in 1824 by the Duke of Wellington who was at that time the Master General of the Ordnance. He held that position until 1856. His correspondence with the Duke during the period 1832-52 is preserved in the archives of the University of Southampton. He was created a Companion of the Order of the Bath in 1848. About this time, William built Ebor Hall near Clonbur on the north shore of Lough Corrib in Co. Galway. By 1861 he and his second wife, Juliana had retired to a house at 17 Lansdowne Crescent, Cheltenham where he died on the 4th. May 1880 aged 88.The inscription of this watch remains to this day somewhat deceptive. Despite the engraving strongly implying it was present during some of Wellington's major battles it is known from the records at Breguet that watch No.2878 was sold to Wellington over a month after the Battle of Waterloo. Provenance:Bought by the Duke of Wellington July 8, 1815 for 1,800 Francs.Presented to William Booth, 1833.Returned to the Wellesley family at a later date.Thence by descent to the previous owner.Christie's London - 29th September 1995, lot 108