By the second half of the 19th century, pocket watches became more and more necessary, especially for those the railroad industry and military where failure to properly time movements could and did result in disasters. They were often wedding and graduation gifts and were deeply personal possessions carried by many every day for years on end. Ulysses S. Grant is known to have been forced to sell his gold pocket watch during the Panic of 1857 in order to buy his family Christmas presents. Author Kate Havelin noted in her book "Ulysses S. Grant" (2003) that this was his last valuable possession at the time, so it must have had great personal value. Within just a few short years he returned to the U.S. Army and became the most powerful military leader in North America. His papers include multiple comments about gold watches he sent to Mrs. Grant in the 1850s and 1860s. The two watches presented here were both manufactured in Switzerland and are believed to have belonged to Ulysses S. Grant's wife and grandson. The hunter-case/hinged Auguste Saltzman watch is said to have belonged to First Lady Julia Boggs Dent Grant (January 26, 1826-December 14, 1902), wife of 18th President and Civil War General Ulysses S. Grant, (April 27, 1822-July 23, 1885; president from March 4, 1869-March 4, 1877). Her family owned White Haven plantation near St. Louis and owned slaves. That latter was a point of contention with Grant's family and even led to his father not attending their wedding. The couple met through an introduction by her brother who attended West Point with Grant and referred to him as "pure gold" in a letter to his sister suggesting they should meet. Once they became a couple, they were very close, but Grant's positions in the Army often kept him far from home. They married in August 1848 after Grant had been gone for four years serving in the Mexican-American War. Longing for his wife and children led Grant to resign in 1854 despite the financial uncertainty leaving his career behind meant. The decision resulted in the selling of many of his possessions in 1857 as noted above, but the looming conflict compelled him back into service and prosperity. During the Civil War, Mrs. Grant stayed close to her husband as best as possible throughout the war and kept her slave Jules/Julia with her as a nurse until 1864. President Lincoln personally ensured Mrs. Grant was sent with Grant when he took command on the Union Army because he knew she boosted his morale. She was also important during his bid for the presidency in 1868, was popular as first lady, and was disappointed Grant did not run for a third term. She is known to have been an outspoken women's rights proponent though not an open proponent of women's suffrage. She helped elevate the position of other wives of influential officials and verbally assaulted Brigham Young for the practice of polygamy and the effects she believed it had on Morman women. It is 18 karat gold and 1 3/4 inches in diameter. The exterior is textured and has black enamel on floral accents. The inside of the front lid is marked "*STATE SEAL OF*/NEUCHATEL/FOR/CARAT (18 in a shield) GOLD" and "24." The face of the watch has a small portrait of Ulysses S. Grant from approximately the 1870s printed on the face and the maker's mark: "Auguste Saltzman." The portrait is not incredibly detailed but similar images, likely copies of the same original portrait, are seen in publications from the early 1870s during Grant’s first presidential term. It is also similar to some of the famous portraits of Grant but appears to have some differences in the positioning of his hair and bow tie. A few other watches personalized with portraits printed on the faces are known from the period. The numbers are in Roman numerals for the hours and Arabic numerals for the seconds. The jeweled action is inscribed "Auguste Saltzmn Chaux-de-Fonds Improved Straight line lever" at the bottom and "PATENTED SEPT 1859," and "No. 26524" on the upper plate. The inner backing lid has "26524" on the underside and "No. 26524/Auguste Saltzman/CHAUX=DE=FONDS" on the exterior face. The outer back lid has boxed "AE" and "18K" and "26524". Close serial numbers on Saltzman watches have been dated to circa 1870 during Grant’s presidency. American advertisements from the 1870s mention also Auguste Saltzman’s "celebrated American watches." By the 1880s, advertisements mention Saltzman & Co instead. The open face Tiffany & Co. watch is inscribed with an ornate "USG IV" monogram on the back with the "IV" at the center and the "G" surrounding the others. It is attributed to Ulysses S. Grant IV (May 23, 1893-March 11, 1977), son of Ulysses S. Grant Jr. and grandson of the 18th president. It is just over 1 3/4 inches in diameter and is also 18 karat gold. The face has Arabic numbers and "TIFFANY & CO." and "SWITZERLAND" markings. The inside of the back lid has "TIFFANY & CO./K.18/215546." The inside of the inner backing lid has "18K/215546/M371." The jeweled action has "MADE FOR TIFFANY & Co./BY THE AGASSIZ WATCH Co./SWITZERLAND," "6. SIX ADJUSTMENTS," "16 JEWELS/SIXTEEN," and "215546." Similar Agassiz watches with close serial numbers have been dated to approximately 1916. The watch may have been a gift for his graduation or when he enlisted in the U.S. Army. After WWI, pocket watches slowly became less common as wrist watches gained popularity. Grant studied geology at Harvard starting in 1911 and graduated with honors in 1915. He then briefly mined for gold in Mexico before enlisting in the U.S. Army in WWI and reaching the rank of second lieutenant. His cousin U.S. Grant III was a career military officer and served in the Philippines and both World Wars and was an aide to President Theodore Roosevelt. After the war Grant IV worked at the New York Stock Exchange through 1925. He then studied at University of California, Berkeley, and then Stanford University where he Grant received his doctorate in 1929 in paleontology. He worked at the Natural History Museum of Los Angeles County and the University of California, Los Angeles before retiring in 1959. Consignor notes indicate the watches were purchased in San Diego where many members of the Grant family lived. U.S. Grant Jr., Grant IV’s father, was an influential businessman in the San Diego area after moving his family there in 1893 and established the historic U.S. Grant Hotel in honor of his father in San Diego. Our auction sold a chair on September 10, 2011, for $46,000 from that same source!

Very fine overall. Both watches have several small repair numbers as is very common on pocket watches. They function excellently. The exteriors have light surfaces scratches, and the enclosed areas are clean and mostly bright and have a few minor scratches and scuffs.