Swiss complicated lever for the Russian market Circa 1900

Rose gold complicated full hunter by Le Phare
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A heavy and very large Swiss 14 carat rose gold hunting cased quarter repeating astronomical lever chronograph made for the Russian market, circa 1900. Six complications. Swiss precision lever movement, repeating the hours and quarter hours, Russian triple date with week day and month indication, moon phases, chronograph. Cuvette inscribed with the complications and medals. White enamel dial with Arabic numerals and rose gold hands. Engine-turned case, monogrammed, all lids solid gold. Case numbered, cuvette signed and numbered.
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Diameter: 60 mm
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Weight: 137 g
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Signed: Le Phare
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Le Phare. The company was originally founded by Charles Barbezat-Baillot (1847-1938) and Henry Guye (1838-1877) under the name Guye & Barbezat in Le Locle, Switzerland, high in the Neuchâtel mountains. In 1888, the firm’s name was changed to Le Phare, being the registered name of their complicated watches.

The company, which later launched the Jean d’Eve watch range, has left its mark on the story of Swiss watchmaking. Indeed, from 1889, its watches were rewarded by the most eminent prizes, a gold medal at the National Exhibition of 1896 in Geneva followed that of 1889 at the Great Universal Exhibition in Paris. In 1897 the silent regulator was invented. A veritable technological marvel that overcame the humming problems beset the repeater watches of the day. This brought another gold medal for Le Phare at the Paris Great Exhibition of 1900.

In 1900, the company advertised their brands that year as La Locloise, l’Esperanto, Le Phare, Tempora and La Volapuk. The company continued to develop and in 1970 was the second largest producer of chronograph watches in Switzerland. The management’s strategy is to maximise its remarkable know-how to develop new ways of measuring time.