GENEVA (AP) — A historical pocket watch made for Ethiopian Emperor Menelik II (1844 – 1913), “The Negus Watch”, dating from 1893, is displayed during an auction preview for the media at Sotheby’s in Geneva, Switzerland, this week.
The auction, Magnificent Jewels, will go on sale November 17 in Geneva.
The Watch was a gift to Leon Chefneux in recognition of his contribution to the implementation of Ethiopia’s first railway line, as inscribed on the inside of the case ‘Don de Sa Majeste Menelik II Empereur d’Ethiopie’.
The yellow gold chronometer pocket watch’s case embraces a white enamel dial. It exhibits a blue and white enamel embellishment, Ethiopian polychrome symbols, used in place of hour markers, subsidiary seconds, a white enamel replacement dial, as well as a back cover, suggestive of the monarch’s crown, infoniac.com says.
Paved with rubies and diamonds, the model is offered in its presentation case and accompanied by the original First Class Geneva Observatory Certificate.
The estimated value is CHF 30,000 – 50,000 (US$ 29,100 – 48,500).
6 thoughts on “Ethiopian Emperor Menelik’s pocket watch on auction”
What is left in Ethiopia? the land,the human organ, the church (tselat},little girls and every thing is on sale .More than any other time Ethiopian are all over the world looking for a new life as a second citizen.Ethiopian educated people are exported to the west,the medical Doctors ,the nurses every one is running out .But the poor and the country are left behind.We need to do something NOW.
The watch was stolen with other gold jewelry from America from the royal familys house and it was reported to the police in Fairfax county but never recovered. the man who stole it was a servant to the late crown prince. the servant was pushing the princes wheelchair. this man is now in Ethiopian calling him self general even though he never being in the militery. he was braging in having the watch with him and describing the watch exactly like it shows on the picture. we didnt believe him at the time because he lies a lot. But know, we know he had it and he sold it because he was desperat. we would like the Ethiopian Government to investigate and return the watch to the Ethiopian museum.
Ethiopa, please lets consentrate in getting the emperors watch back to Ethiopian museum. I never hurd human organ and little girls being sold from Ethiopia I think its an insalt to ethiopian people and our history. the Ethiopian people dont sale their deginity for any thing even when they are hungry. from what I know, they couldnt even eat some some thing anusual to servive ok! so please lets not write things like this that will demean our people.
Waht is wierd is that we say the watch is made for Emperor Menelik as a gift. But he gave back to the people who gave him. what kind of stuf is that? are we listning to what we are saying here? PLEASE listen what I am telling you. the WATCH was stolen.
Its wrong! to say the King gave his watch to Leon. the truth is Leon gave the watch to the king as a gift. that is why it says gift to king Menelik not a gift to leon. stop lying! you are confusing people so that you dont be cought for stelling the watch.
you shouldnt be in jornalizem business at all because you dont write facts. jornalizem should be written based on the facts and truth not lays. you are misgaiding the public saying the king gave his gift away and give it to Leon as a gift. you are insulting the intelegence of king Menelik and twisting the true story and making the king look bad in the eye of the world. because the watch is given to him and that is why it says a gift to King Menelik not Leon. you should be out of jornalizem busines and stop wrting any thing.