LOT 9

An 18K gold open face pocket watch, presented to S.F.Edge by The Surrey Bicycle Club for the 1890 'London-Brighton' coach/cycle challenge record time,

Sold for £2,560 inc. premium

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Lot 9

An 18K gold open face pocket watch, presented to S.F.Edge by The Surrey Bicycle Club for the 1890 'London-Brighton' coach/cycle challenge record time,

Goodwood Members' Meeting|19 April 2026, 11:00 BST|Chichester, Goodwood

An 18K gold open face pocket watch, presented to S.F.Edge by The Surrey Bicycle Club for the 1890 'London-Brighton' coach/cycle challenge record time,

keyless pocket watch by C.Willmann of 42 Westow St, Upper Norwood, the case hallmarked 18K gold with London town mark, sponsors's mark H.G.(Henry Griffith), with white enamel dial with Roman numerals and two subsidiary dials, Swiss movement, the rear outer case engraved with ornate 'SFE' entwined initials, the rear inner case engraved with presentation details 'S.F.Edge - from the - Surrey Bicycle Club - for beating - Selby's Coach Record - 7 hours 50 minutes - from Picadilly, London, to - The Old Ship, Brighton and Back - July 23rd 1890 - Time - 7 hours 2 minutes 50 seconds', the watch gross weight approximately 115.8gms, in later case.

Footnotes

This watch was presented in 1890 by The Surrey Bicycle Club to S.F.Edge for achieving a new record time for the White Horse Cellars, Piccadilly, London to The Old Ship, Brighton 'Coaching Record' 108 mile round trip, which was originally conceived in 1888 as a horse-drawn coach run against the clock, with a time of 7 hours 50 minutes set by professional coachman James Selby on 13th July 1888 driving the "Old Times" coach.

Simultaneously entertained, intrigued, and inspired by this achievement, competitive cyclists took up Selby's challenge to beat his time, with various riders breaking the record in 1889 and 1890, with Edge eventually eclipsing them all, achieving a new record time of 7 hours 2 minutes on his cushion tyred Safety bicycle on 23rd July 1890.

Edge went on to beat the record again in 1892, further cementing superiority and earning bragging rights for the 'pedal-powered, two-wheel' riders over the 'horse-powered, four-legged' traditionalists.

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