Important Swiss brass Marine deck chronometer Circa 1920

Center seconds deck chronometer with minute impulse by Paul Ditisheim
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An important Swiss Marine deck chronometer with center seconds and very rare electrical minute impulse, circa 1920. ‘Central Seconds Marine Chronometer Mo.1011’. Three piece mahogany box with brass fittings and countersunk handles, original ivory plate, signed and numbered, extraordinary brass case with gimbal suspension, lateral electric device with minute impulse, in the bottom keyless winding mechanism with a rotating knob, suspension with reeding ring nut for keyless time setting, gilt chronometer movement, inscribed: Paul Ditisheim Central Seconds Marine Chronometer Seven Swiss Patents, 1011, exceptionally large chronometer balance under glazed bridge, bridge inscribed: Guillaume Compensating Balance, lever escapement, bearing jewel with gold chaton, power reserve indication with planetary gear, device for emitting a minute impulse. Silver plated dial with 1/5 second scale, indication of two day power reserve and centre seconds, steel hand, dial inscribed: Maker to the British government, holder of the Kew and Teddington records, maker to the united States Navy, record holder Neuchatel Obervatory, 305 State Prizes Patented.
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Dimensions: 18.5 × 18.5 × 20 cm
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Signed: Paul Ditisheim La Chaud-de-Fonds
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These center seconds chronometers by Paul Ditisheim are considered to be the finest Swiss marine chronometers and are very popular. Ditisheim was one of the most important Swiss watch and chronometer makers. He researched and published mainly on topics of precision time measurement. He studied at the watchmaking school in La Chaux-de-Fonds before working in Ponts-de-Martel, Berlin, Paris and at Rotherham in Coventry. In 1892 he opened a watch factory in La Chaux-de-Fonds. With his watches he took part in many exhibitions and was very successful in the construction of pocket chronometers, mainly with lever escapement. Among other things, he developed a Marine chronometer with interchangeable escapement. Together with Charles-Edouard Guillaume he worked on the development and testing of temperature independent metal alloys. Paul Ditisheim was appointed Chevalier of the French Academy and Fellow of the British Horological Institute in 1900. In 1912 he achieved the world record in chronometry at the Kew Observatory.