Imperial Russ H.Moser Award Gilt Pocket Watch Military Russo-Japanes War Era

I am pleased to offer from my private collection this absolutely ONE OF A KIND and extremely important historical antique Imperial Russ H.Moser presentation pocket watch c1905.


The watch has been awarded personally by Tsar Nicholas II to General Anatoly Mikhaylovich Stessel for Bravery during the Russo-Japanese war c1905.

Anatoly Stessel was born in 1848 as the son of Lieutenant General Baron Vinogradov Stessel. He graduated from the Pavel Military School in 1866. Stessel was a participant of the Russo-Turkish War (1877–1878). He subsequently commanded the 16th Ladoga Infantry Regiment in 1897 and then from 1897 to 1899 the 44th Kamchatka Infantry Regiment. He was appointed to head the 3rd East Siberian Brigade (1899–1903) and distinguished himself for his role in the suppression of the Boxer Rebellion, and was wounded in combat during the Battle of Tientsin. He was subsequently awarded the Order of St. George (4th degree). From August 12, 1903, Stessel was commander of the garrison of Port Arthur, Manchuria with a total of over 50,000 men. Occupied by the Russ since 1897, the defense of Port Arthur had been heavily enhanced and modernized in the intervening years, and its position was considered one of the most heavily fortified in the world.


This is much more than a watch-this is a piece of the history!

H.Moser watch maker was the official supplier to the Imperial Russ Court.

The watch has a 18k gold plated oversize case-53mm.The case depicting the Imperial Russ crest-the double headed eagle and engraved text in Cyrillic "War 1905"
 

High grade gilt movement ,fully jeweled,Breguet hairspring,compensating balance wheel with gold weights,precision regulator.
 

Perfect working order!

Fine enamel dial depicting a portrait of Tsar Nicholas II.Original hands.

All the parts original. 

The watch comes from the Stessel's family estate.

HISTORY:

Heinrich Moser was born in Schaffhausen, Switzerland in 1805 into a family of watchmakers. At the age of 21, the young Heinrich had the bold idea of moving to St. Petersburg to establish himself there, as a master watchmaker. This adventure wasn’t entirely self-imposed either. For generations, the Moser family had been trusted with the responsibility of maintaining the public clocks of Schaffhausen – however, when it was his turn, Heinrich, for his young age, was not given the opportunity to prove himself. This was more than enough of a motivation to set off on his own path – which, as we will see, he very much chose to lead him back to his hometown.
Just a year later, in 1828, he established H. Moser & Cie. in St. Petersburg, where this name soon became a symbol of quality, elegance, and reliable watches with exceptional manufacture movements. Moser went on to develop from an artisanal watchmaker into a true entrepreneur, who not only understood all the details of his products, but also created a full-scale production system with an international service and retailer network – from scratch, in the early- to mid-1800s. It is worth noting that the Moser name has truly become analog with quality watches in Russia – some 1920s advertisements are just fascinating flashbacks to the past that further prove this point
Upon his return to his hometown, Heinrich dedicated much of his by-now vast fortune to develop the Schaffhausen region, totally transforming the sleepy little place into a prosperous and powerful town. In 1864, the Moser-dam was finished, a massive and incredibly impactful structure whose primary purpose was to harness the river Rhine’s power to supply energy to the town of Schaffhausen, hence providing it with the opportunity to industrialize and reap all the benefits of turning into a town that manufactures a wide range of products.
A truly entrepreneurial undertaking, turning a small settlement into a major hub in manufacturing, Heinrich Moser set out to design the entire dam-canal system along with its turbines himself – though, over time, he saw that he would definitely have to call upon further assistance to realize his plans. Entire structures grew out of the hectically running Rhine, housing massive turbines that would transfer the river’s energy to the many new buildings and manufactures that now ran along the river and helped Schaffhausen transform. There were even 2-person cable cars transporting workers across the Rhine – a system built in 1866, this was the first of its kind in Switzerland.
It is also worth mentioning how IWC Schaffhausen started out by renting part of a building that Heinrich Moser had set up specifically to give space to new small and medium-sized businesses. Beyond his joint ventures to develop the local industry, Heinrich Moser opened up a watch case manufacture in Schaffhausen, in 1853. In 1918, the company H. Moser & Cie. was expropriated following the turmoil of the Russian Revolution.