ROYAL. A SWISS GUNMETAL AND GOLD PLATED PATENT CALENDAR LEVER WATCH WITH DOUBLE DIAL

ROYAL. A SWISS GUNMETAL AND GOLD PLATED PATENT CALENDAR LEVER WATCH WITH DOUBLE DIAL, C1889 CALENDRIER BREVETE 52mm diam,` in maroon morocco case of GASS & CO 138 REGENT STREET LONDON, the lid inscribed PRESENTED TO SIR CHARLES HALL BY H.R.H. THE PRINCE OF WALES XMAS 1889Provenance: Presented by King Edward VII (1841-1910) when Prince of Wales to Sir Charles Hall, QC, KCMG (1843-1900). One of the future King's 'Marlborough House' set, Sir Charles Hall was attorney general of the Duchy of Lancaster from 1877 until 1892. In 1890 he was invested KCMG for acting as British representative at the International Conference on Maritime Law. He was on intimate terms with the Prince, a shooting companion and a witty raconteur with a keen sense of humour. He was also especially fond of performing conjuring tricks, all of which no doubt endeared him to his royal master. An advertisement for these watches was placed by Baume & Co of Hatton Garden, London in the Horological Journal Vol 44, August 1902. See Shenton (A), Pocket Watches of the Nineteenth and Twentieth Century, Woodbridge 1995, pp 362-3.