An 18ct gold keyless wind open face pocket watch, the white enamel dial with black Roman numerals, outer chapter ring, seconds subsidiary dial at numeral 6, with blued steel spade hands, the lever movement with ¾ plate, numbered ‘25690’, outer case hallmarked for London, 1886, cuvette stamped with marker’s mark ‘PW’, the reverse engraved with monogram LC for Leonard Costello, contained in fitted box, together with the original documentation from The Kew Observatory, Richmond, Surrey, dated January 1887, and the purchase receipt from the New Civil Service Co-operation, Limited, addressed to Costello Esq and dated October 30th 1889, diameter 4.8cm. £400-600

The documentation consists of a report from The Kew Observatory, Richmond, Surrey, Watch Rating Department, and a second document from the Kew Observatory titled ‘Abstract of the Results of Trial of Watch No 25690’, both dated January 1887, together with a Receipt from the New Civil Service Co-operation, Limited, 122 & 124 Queen Victoria Street, London EC, dated 30th October 1889.

The watch was formerly the property of Sir Leonard Wilfred James Costello (1881-1972), an English barrister, college lecturer, soldier, Liberal party politician, judge and philanthropist. Between 1926-1940 he was a judge in the High Court in Calcutta, he was knighted in 1935 for this role and was awarded the CBE in 1946.