The search for the most complex timepiece ever made in England — believed to be crafted for banking tycoon J.P. Morgan — became an obsession for L.A. Times reporter Daniel Miller. Follow along his crazy quest for the missing piece
The double-sided pocket watch had a map of the heavens on one of its two dials, an intricate display whose complexity nodded to the mechanical masterpiece ticking within the solid-gold case.
Then, in the mid-1970s, the pocket watch disappeared, spawning an enduring mystery. I set out to solve it in spring 2020.The effort plunged me into the baroque world of high-end antiquities, where a strange globe-spanning story entangled the estate of a La Jolla aviation mogul, an accountant from England, an Italian auctioneer, a watch-collecting Middle Eastern sultan and the archduke of Austria.The J. Player watch is not the only important timepiece to vanish.
deepened. I became fascinated by the idea that something powered by gears, wheels, levers and springs could bring order to the ephemeral passage of time. And when I first strapped on my late grandfather’s gold watch, I felt the thrill of an heirloom that could bind generations. In a letter to the editor, New York antiquarian Jan Skala announced his ownership of the watch. Describing it, he invoked the mustachioed robber baron: “It was made in the first decade of this century for J.P. Morgan.”The double-sided J. Player & Son pocket watch, called a supercomplication because of its many features, was shown in the April 1909 edition of the Horological Journal soon after its completion.
The banker’s contemporary timepieces were fabricated in England “by the finest names of the day,” according to That aligns with the recollections of Loomes, chairman of the British Horological Institute. He said that John Player mentioned Morgan while visiting Loomes & Co.'s office nearly a decade ago, explaining with pride that “one of the most famous people in the world” had commissioned the watch. And that wasn’t the first Loomes had heard of it: BHI’s librarian told him about the banker’s ownership of the timepiece about 25 years ago, he said.
The antiques dealer operated a shop on 47th Street in Manhattan that offered collectibles including pocket watches, Faberge eggs and ornate cigarette cases. He was also known to acquire rarities on behalf of discerning clients. Asaid that he won 17 lots — all gold and enameled boxes — at an auction of items from the estate of Henry Ford II. Skala, who used code names while bidding, said three were bought on behalf of European museums. Total price tag: $314,100.Great Read: L.A.
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