German 18 Carat rose gold minute repeating lever chronograph Circa 1890

Rose gold full hunter chronograph by Johannes Dürrstein
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A large and heavy German 14 Carat rose gold full hunter cased minute repeating chronograph lever pocket watch with a 30 minute counter, circa 1890. Bridge movement, lever escapement, two hammers, two gongs, screw compensation balance. White enamel dial with Arabic hours, 30 minute counter at 12 o’clock and subsidiary seconds at six o’clock. Plain case, an applied monogram on the front.
Case numbered.
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Diameter: 56 mm
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Weight: 139 g
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Signed: Johannes Dürrstein Dresden
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Johannes Dürrstein was born on August 22nd, 1845 in Niederrad and died on May 7th, 1901. Dürrstein grew up in a middle class family and completed a commercial apprenticeship at the Frankfurt watch wholesaler Ludwig & Fries. He was a German entrepreneur and together with his brother Friedrich, he established his own business in 1874. He repeatedly travelled to Switzerland on business and got to know the important watch manufacturers in the country. The company traded as Dürrstein & Co Glashütte and sold Swiss products as well as watches by A. Lange & Söhne. Nearly 20 years later, in 1893, Dürrstein founded the Uhrenfabrik Union. The watches produced in this manufactory were of outstanding quality and could be made to order with high value complications of all kinds. The range included pocket chronometers, tourbillons and perpetual calendars and usually came with a rating certificate from the Hamburg Observatory. Dürrstein always tried to satisfy the universally strong demand for high quality timepieces and mainly used premium Swiss movements which he bought and cased before selling them to his customers.