Pocket watch

Demonstrating the continued interest in pocket watches by most renowned English makers, two Georgian watches, one signed for Thomas Earnshaw and the other for Thomas Mudge, achieved strong results for regional salerooms on the same day in March.

This 18ct gold pocket watch by Charles Frodsham with accompanying chain (offered separately) was presented by Sir Victor Horsley (1857-1916) to the man he credited for saving his son’s life.

Just as rich Europeans coveted Chinese porcelain and lacquer in the 18th and 19th century, so the Chinese were fascinated by Western horology.

A trio of lots relating to Charles Dickens offered at Chichester saleroom Stride & Son (18% buyer’s premium) included a presentation pocket watch.

The British scientific author David Salomons (1851-1925) – one-time owner of the world’s largest private collection of Breguet watches and clocks – said “to carry a fine Breguet watch is to feel that you have the brains of a genius in your pocket”.

A round-up of art and antiques news from the previous seven days, including the auction of a Roger Smith pocket watch.

Recent auction results in Germany and Switzerland give a snapshot of the market beyond wristwatches

Portable timekeepers full of collectable appeal need not be just those worn on the wrist

Some exceptional pocket watches were offered for sale at Bonhams in Knightsbridge on May 11.

English names from a defunct clock manufactory were used for familiarity in an export market

Thousands of items are available to buy from dealers online. Here we pick out one that caught our eye this week.

'Une histoire du temps' (a history of time) is the title of the sale to be held by Aguttes in Neuilly on September 28.

In contrast to the red-hot trade in vintage and modern wristwatches, the market for antique pocket watches appears very low key. However, as demand for the better-quality pieces remains robust, not all are destined for the scrapheap. Richard Fox reports

Little is known about the biography of the German watchmaker Sigismund Rentzsch, who came to London in the early 19th century, where he set up a workshop.

Abraham Louis Breguet is generally considered to be the greatest watchmaker of all times, responsible for numerous inventions, which revolutionised the art.

Although Thomas Tompion (1639-1713) is often referred to as the Father of English Clockmaking, his talents were not just limited to clocks.