Impressive Swiss gold complicated hunting cased watch Circa 1890

Gold complicated lever watch by J.J. Badolett & Co
–
An impressive and heavy Swiss 18 carat gold hunting cased minute repeating split-seconds chronograph pocket watch with perpetual calendar, moon phases and 24-hour indicator, circa 1890. Glazed bridge movement, a very finely ground, bevelled double hand tong with separate ratchet wheel for the split-seconds chronograph, two hammers, two gongs, two barrels wound through a racking bar, gold screw compensation balance, counterpoised lever. White enamel dial with Arabic numerals, four subsidiary dials, one at 12 o’clock with an aperture for the phases of the moon, at 3 the months of the year including a leap year, at 6 auxiliary seconds combined with the date, at 9 the days of the week combined with 24-hour indication and blued spade hands. Plain case, maker’s mark B.&Co. Dial and movement signed, case numbered. Comes with the original mahogany presentation box.
–
Diameter: 58 mm
–
Height: 22 mm
–
Weight: 204 g
–
Signed: J.J. Badolett & Co Geneva
–
The Swiss family Badollet produced several generations of fine watchmakers from the 17th to the 20th century. One branch of the family worked in Paris from 1712 until 1872, there were also offices in England and a maker called Paul Badollet worked in New York around 1798. Jean Jaques Badollet (1756-1829) founded the company ‘J.J. Badollet’ in 1779 in Geneva. Jean Moise Badollet (1811-1854) was the sole proprietor from 1828 until 1854 and traded under the name J.M. Badollet. From 1837 the company name was ‘J.M. Badollet & Cie’. It remained like this after the death of Jean Moise, his successor was Jean Marc Badollet. Around 1890 the company name changed back to the original ‘J. J. Badollet’, this was the time when the ‘Charmilles’ pocket watch was produced after the patents of Potter. However, the venture was unsuccessful and the company was dissolved a year later in 1896. A year after that, Colomb & Balmer took over the premises in Geneva, keeping the trademarks of J.J. Badollet. It seems that around this time the Badollet family was once again involved, Gustave Badollet (1855-1924) was the last member of the family to be in charge of the company. In 1923 its name was ‘Geneva Watch Co, Successor to J.J. Badollet, micrometers’ and this company was still trading two years later.