Fellows and Sons | Established 1876

George Jay Gould

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Lot 397 in Fellows’ upcoming Watch Sale which takes place on Tuesday 30th January has special significance. It has an inscription saying: “In memory of George Jay Gould from his wife, May 1923.” The item itself is beautiful, and it can be seen below:

george jay gould watch January 2018

It is a stunning open face pocket watch by Cartier. The item has a yellow metal case with engraving to the front and back. It comes with an unsigned keyless wind nineteen jewel movement, a silvered guilloche dial with Roman and Arabic numerals. The watch is estimated at £2,800 – £3,800, and the inscription mentioning George Jay Gould is particularly intriguing.

George Jay Gould was an American millionaire financer. The watch has been entered to auction by a family who received it as a gift from the widow of George Jay Gould. Gould passed away in 1923 after contracting a fever in Egypt. The intrigue around his death comes from the fact he contracted the fever after visiting the tomb of Tutankhamun. A few months later, he sadly passed away – his story is similar to many others, including Hugh Evelyn-White, a British archaeologist, who also visited the tomb and sadly took his own life shortly after, claiming he had been succumbed to the curse.

george jay gould watch January 2018

Lot 397 – An open face pocket watch by Cartier. Estimate: £2,800 – £3,800

The watch itself has a bold black Art Deco style inscription in the centre of the case on the rear, which could be ‘SR’ for Dr Stanley Rendall, the Great Grandfather of the current owner of the watch. Dr Stanley Rendall was said to have practiced at the time in Menton and Aix-les-Bains, in the south of France. He specialised in treating his ‘valetudinarian’ patients – seeking health in the warm winter climate of Menton, close to where Gould died. Reports from May 1923 suggested that Dr Stanlay Randall had been consulted on Gould’s last illness.

The pocket watch is Lot 397 in our upcoming Watch Sale. The Watch Sale takes place on Tuesday 30th January starting at 11am. The full catalogue is available to view now both online and in person at the following times:

27 January 2018 11am – 4pm (Birmingham)
29 January 2018 10am – 4pm (Birmingham)
30 January 2018 8.30am – 11am (Birmingham)