Swiss 18 carat gold minute repeating lever watch Circa 1900

Rose gold repeating full hunter by Le Phare
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A large Swiss 14 carat rose gold hunting cased minute repeating lever pocket watch, probably made by Le Phare circa 1900. Bridge movement, two hammers, two gongs, Swiss Patent No. 13244 (Barbezat Baillot’s Poussette pour montres), Swiss Patent No. 334 (Barbezat Baillot’s Perfectionnements apportés à la construction des mécanismes de répétition pour montres de poche de toutes dimensions), a piston tooth lever escapement and screw compensation balance. The cuvette is engraved with prize medals and technical details. White enamel dial with Arabic hours, outer minute divisions, Arabic five minute numerals, sunk subsidiary seconds at 6 o’clock and Louis XIV hands. A plain case.
The case and cuvette areb numbered.
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Diameter: 57 mm
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Weight: 114 g
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Signed: No name
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Barbezat-Baillot was a brilliant watchmaker and inventor who had a large number of patents registered. Swiss Patent 334 was one of Barbezat-Baillot’s most important inventions and involves the use of centrifugal force in the repeating mechanism. In 1888, he marketed the brand name ‘Le Phare’ (the lighthouse in English), which he used as company name from 1905.