Dr. Tabby unearths a fascinating piece of horological history: a vintage Charles Frodsham wristwatch from 1937, predating the brand's known foray into wristwatches. This discovery challenges established timelines and offers a rare glimpse into the bespoke commissions of a revered English chronometer maker. Dr. Tabby's detailed post, complete with auction house insights, provides crucial context for understanding this unique timepiece and its connection to composer Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji.
Charles Frodsham, as some of you will recall, is an old English maker of chronometers and clocks. They are making their first wristwatch, with a George Daniels movement. It's a bit exciting!
However, something odd
came up for auction late last year: Another, much older Charles Frodsham wristwatch! From 1937. Now, it was known that CF had made a few wristwatches in the 1940s as an aborted attempt at wristwatch making, but
this one hadn't been mentioned.
Let's have a look:
The dial is sideways! It's a very beautiful watch. Not for me. I am going for the new CF, but I hope it found a good home. I wrote Richard Stenning at CF and he kindly pointed me to some info from the last time it was up
for auction (at Bonhams) which I'll post here:
"Charles Frodsham. A fine and interesting 18ct gold bracelet watch specially commissioned for the composer Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji
Circa 1937
Jewelled 3/4 plate keyless
wind English lever movement signed Charles Frodsham and with date code 010351 AdFmsz, signed gold engine turned dial rotated 90 degrees and with black Roman numerals and outer five minute divisions, subsidiary
seconds at 6 but located at the 3 o'clock position, blued steel Breguet hands, screwed-secure crown flanking by the setting button, polished round case with hinged back and engraved personal monogrammed and dated
back, snap on cuvette within, fitted brick link bracelet with locking clasp, case, dial and movement signed
Footnotes
Kaikhosru Shapurji Sorabji (1892-1988) was an enormously prolific and largely self-taught composer,
who completed over 100 works between 1915 and 1984, many for piano solo. Some were published between 1919 and 1931, but much of his music remains for the time being in manuscript only. Several of his works are
of extraordinary length and difficulty, making them inaccessible to most musicians.
He was an exceptionally private individual and yet remained in the public eye by publishing a wide variety of articles, reviews, "letters-to-
the-editor" in English journals, and essays such as 'Around Music' (1932) and 'Mi Contra Fa: The Immoralisings of a Machiavellian Musician' (1947).
The London hallmark is for 1937, when Kaikhosru Sorabji probably
purchased the watch circa 1937/38 as a special commission from Frodshams. The personal monomark of 'BM'on the reverse of the watch was registered in 1934.
Noticeably and unusually (as it was originally intended for
a pocket watch) the movement for this watch is mounted with the winder at 12. Had Frodshams or Sorabji decided that subsidiary seconds were not necessary, then the dial could have been turned through 90 degrees so
that the dial read correctly for a wristwatch. We can only assume therefore that in fact the watch was requested with seconds indication. Having said that, there is a further speculative theory that should be considered. As
musicians often remove their wristwatches whilst playing instruments, perhaps this watch was placed on the top edge of the piano for timing reference purposes. If a conventionally dialled watch is thus placed the bracelet
or strap hangs down, and as such there is a likely hood that the watch will slip off the piano."
Post-script:
This is the new Charles Frodsham wristwatch with Daniels double impulse escapement. Picture from SJX.
This message has been edited by Dr No on 2020-02-21 23:23:13 
