A very rare J. H. Steward pocket chronograph stopwatch, dating from c.1872. The chronograph, the forerunner of the modern stopwatch, originated in France around the start of the 19th century. This stopwatch was made in Paris by Paul Foucher and sold by J. H. Steward from their premises at 406 Strand, London. Foucher's maker's mark is engraved on the movement of the stopwatch, and J. H. Steward's Strand address is on the dial. Paul Foucher was a French watchmaker who exhibited at the 1851 London and 1867 Paris Expositions. He patented one of the earliest types of inking chronographs in Paris in 1864. At this time his Paris address was at 6 rue de la Butte-Chaumont, by 1894 the company premises were at rue de la Folie-Méricourt. Foucher produced chronographs and other instruments for the French military from the 19th century to the first half of the 20th century.
This instrument can be dated quite accurately from the engraving on the rear of the case. It is marked 'N.A.A., 62 Chandos St, Strand' and '24 Bedford St, W.C.' The N.A.A. was the National Artillery Association, which was established in London in 1863 and had its headquarters at 62 Chandos Street from the 1860's to c.1884. By 1884 the headquarters was at 24 Bedford Street. The Chandos Street address has been crossed out, showing that this stopwatch must have been acquired by the N.A.A. sometime between 1863 and 1884 when their HQ was at Chandos Street, before the move to Bedford Street. It would have been used during the many British Army artillery firing competitions held by the N.A.A. during the Victorian era. By 1899 the J. H. Steward catalogue was listing much more modern looking chronographs and stopwatches, which had by then replaced the earlier Foucher designs.
This particular stopwatch is similar to a design made by Adolphe Nicole c.1844, and known as the 'Improved Chronograph'. Chronographs were originally used by the military to time artillery fire, for sporting events such as athletics meetings, and at horse racing events, where accurate timing and the establishment of records was becoming increasingly important in mid 19th century.
The stopwatch has a brass case, blued hands, enamelled dial, and thick bevelled glass. The outer dial is calibrated from 0 to 60 seconds, with the subsiduary dial reading from 0 - 10 minutes. There is a push-button at the top of the case to reset both dials to zero, and a sliding button at the side to start and stop the watch. This button has markings at either side, 'M' (for 'Marche'- go) and 'A' ('Arrete'- stop). The watch is wound by a winder on the back of the case, with an engraved arrow showing the winding direction. It comes complete with its original fitted leather case, with the Steward logo inside the lid.
National Artillery Association (N.A.A.): In 1859 Artillery Volunteer Corps were established as part of a plan to form a Home Defence Force. The initial role for the Artillery Volunteer Corps was to man coastal defences as auxiliaries to regular units. Ten separate Corps of Artillery comprising 73 Batteries had been formed in 1859, and the numbers had risen to some 26,500 Volunteers by 1862. The term ‘Battery’ at this time was used to refer to a single gun, and a Volunteer Corps itself could be as little as 30 men. The N.A.A. was formed in 1863 to 'advance and promote the practice and science of Artillery within the Artillery Volunteer Corps', and regular competitions were organized to advance this objective. The first N.A.A. competitive meeting took place in August 1865 at The School of Gunnery at Shoeburyness, with gun detachments competing for prizes presented by H.M. The Queen, The Prince of Wales, The Commander in Chief and the N.A.A. Following the first event in 1865, the competitions were run annually at Shoeburyness by the N.A.A. (often with up to 1,000 competitors) until the early 20th Century. Although the N.A.A. was an unofficial and volunteer organisation it received support from many official sources, particularly from the School of Gunnery, and ammunition was supplied by the War Office. There was a suspension of competitions between 1900 to 1902 for the Second Boer War, from 1914-18 during WW1, and during WW2 from 1939-45. The N.A.A. is still in existence and continues to hold regular competitions with the Royal Artillery.
The Chronograph: literally translated means “Time Writer” — a union of the Greek word “chronos” meaning time and “graph” meaning writing. While this often confuses people as to why it would have the word “writing” in it, the very first versions of the chronograph were operated by marking the dial with a small pen that was attached to the index, whereby the length of the pen mark indicated how much time had elapsed. Invented in 1815, Louis Moinet created what would become the first chronograph upon its completion in 1816. Moinet invented the chronograph solely as a tool for working with astronomical equipment, but it was Nicolas Mathieu Rieussec who built the first chronograph to actually be offered in the marketplace. Commissioned by King Louis XVIII in 1821, Rieussec was a French watchmaker who became known throughout France as the “Watchmaker to the King.” Rieussec was asked to develop his chronograph so the King could time horse races, a favorite pastime of his. The result would change the world of sports forever and be utilized in a variety of capacities the world over. Races of all types could be timed using the chronograph and accurate records could be established. In early 1844 Adolphe Nicole created an improved version of Rieussec’s constantly moving chronograph which used a reset feature to allow successive measurements. At around the time of the First World War, the chronograph began to be incorporated into wristwatches, often used by aviators and the military.
J. H. Steward Ltd: James Henry Steward (1817-1896) established his business in London in 1852 as a maker and retailer of optical, scientific, military and surveying instruments. J.H. Steward was the head optician of the company and had businesses at 406 Strand, 457 West Strand and 54 Cornhill in London. In the mid 1800s he became the optician to Her Majesty's Government and the National Rifle, and National Artillery Associations. James Henry Steward died in 1896. J. H. Steward Ltd was incorporated in 1912 and continued in business in London until 1973. The main London office was sold in 1971, and from 1971-1973 the company rented premises in Catherine Street. All the remaining stock and long serving staff member George Goble (c.1916-1975) were moved to Catherine Street. The business finally moved to 154a Church Road, Hove, Sussex in 1973, before finally ceasing trading in 1975.
Condition:
In very good condition and full working order. It has been professionally serviced by a BHI registered watchmaker in 2025. The brass case is in very good condition, with some minor marks. The glass is in very good condition. The dial and hands are in very good condition. The leather case is in good condition, with general signs of wear and use, and a small repair to one side.
Dimensions : 60mm diameter, depth 20mm
