Live Auction 1391Important Watches, including A Gentleman's Pursuit for Excellence, Part I
Magno. A rare and unusual pair of silver and enamel hunter case keyless lever presentation watches with consecutive movement numbers and original box, made to celebrate the loyalty of Taiwan to Sun Yat-Sen
Lot 189

Magno. A rare and unusual pair of silver and enamel hunter case keyless lever presentation watches with consecutive movement numbers and original box, made to celebrate the loyalty of Taiwan to Sun Yat-Sen

SIGNED MAGNO, MOVEMENT NOS. 41123 AND 41124, CASE NOS. 87998 AND 88022, CIRCA 1920

Closed12 November 2012

Price Realised

CHF 13,750

Considering selling a similar item?

Discover its value with a complimentary estimate from our specialists.

More Information

How to sell

Magno. A rare and unusual pair of silver and enamel hunter case keyless lever presentation watches with consecutive movement numbers and original box, made to celebrate the loyalty of Taiwan to Sun Yat-Sen
Signed Magno, movement nos. 41123 and 41124, case nos. 87998 and 88022, circa 1920
Keyless lever movements, 15 jewels, white enamel dials, Roman numerals, subsidiary seconds, circular cases, raised foliage decorated bands and bows, inlaid blue enamel dragon border, portrait of Sun Yat-Sen surmounted by Chinese characters Zhong Shan Ji Nian to the front covers, inlaid red and blue enamel crossed flags of the Republics of China and Taiwan and two shaking hands surrounded by the dragon symbol to the back covers, cases signed and numbered, dial signed with Magno's Chinese signature, movements numbered
45 mm. diams. (2)

Specialist note

With original fitted burgundy presentation box.

These watches are one of the exceedingly rare sets of such presentation watches to appear in public to date, presented to Taiwanese officials and celebrating the loyalty of Taiwan to Sun Yat-Sen.

The inscription on the front cover "Zhong Shan Ji Nian" translates into "To commemorate Zhong Shan", as Sun Yat-Sen's official name was Sun Zhong Shan.

Sun Yat-Sen (12 November 1866 - 12 March 1925) was a Chinese revolutionary and first president and founding father of the Republic of China ("Nationalist China"), or Taiwan. As the foremost pioneer of Republic of China, Sun is referred to as the "Father of the Nation" in the Republic of China (ROC), and the "forerunner of democratic revolution" in the People's Republic of China. Sun played an instrumental role in the overthrow of the Qing dynasty during the Xinhai Revolution in 1911. He was the first provisional president when the Republic of China was founded in 1912 and later co-founded the Kuomintang (KMT), serving as its first leader. Sun was a uniting figure in post-Imperial China, and remains unique among 20th-century Chinese politicians for being widely revered amongst the people from both sides of the Taiwan Strait.