Swiss 18 carat gold lever made for the Chinese market Circa 1800

Gold lever with stoppable jump center seconds attributed to Dubois & Fils
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An innovative Swiss 18 carat gold open faced lever pocket watch with stoppable jumping center seconds and date made for the Chinese market, circa 1800. Key wound movement with a diamond set balance, Pouzait lever escapement and second beating balance, the center seconds hand can be stopped or activated by a lever in the band. White enamel dial with Roman hours, outer minute divisions, decorative gold five minute markers, Arabic quarter hour numerals, an inner chapter ring for the date and decorative hands. A plain case.
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Diameter: 56.5 mm
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Signed: No name
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The balance has a seconds beating action to allow the center seconds hand to advance in one second increments, the escapement is ultimately derived from that invented by Moise Pouzait in the late 18th century.
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Although unsigned, this timepice can be attributed to Dubois & Fils, master watchmakers of Le Locle, Switzerland, who were evidently familiar with Moise Pouzait’s lever escapement which he developed in the 1780s. In 1786 Pouzait made a model of his escapement which he presented to the Geneva Société des Arts. Due to its highly visible and mesmerizing action, Pouzait’s invention was much appreciated by the Chinese before Jacot invented the Chinese duplex escapement which made the production of center seconds watches feasible in larger numbers.