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Michael Morton Lee
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![]() Dial and handsAlmost impossibly slender hands and faultless enamel dial. Unusual positioning of the seconds dial, until you realise it is in the right place for an open face watch with winding stem at 12 o'clock | ![]() Front of full hunter case | ![]() Back of full hunter caseEngine turning showing very little wear |
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![]() Movement with back cover removedEzekiel Emanuel was a well respected gold and silversmith in Victorian Portsmouth. Unusually for a retailer outside London, he held the Royal Warrant and would have served customers from the Royal Navy from the shop on The Hard, right outside the dockyard. He eventually became Mayor, but only after a law was passed in Parliament to allow Jews to hold that office. His notable achievements included the draining of swamp land at Southsea, which is now Portsmouth's most affluent area. | ![]() Detail of balanceNicole Nielsen used pop-off covers to discourage unnecessary opening and therefore risk of dust in the movement. This also meant that separate dust covers were redundant, and the whole watch could be made slimmer. | ![]() Showing the pin for hand settingThe whole watch is beautifully proportioned and understated. The pin hardly interrupts the slim lines. |
![]() Case maker's mark and hallmarksCase made by Adolphe Nicole, and a testament to his fine work that has survived without a dent, barely a scratch and no wear to the engine turning. |
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