American hunting cased keyless lever pocket chronometer Circa 1880

Gold chronometer with double wheel escapement by Charles Fasoldt
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An American gold hunting cased lever pocket chronometer featuring a double wheel escapement and dual keyless/key winding via a detachable crown, housed in a later purpose built case, circa 1880. The movement features damascened bridges and a wolf’s tooth winding mechanism, along with the patented double gold wheel lever chronometer escapement by Fasoldt. It has an impulse to the smaller wheel and locking to the larger wheel, a single roller, and a bimetallic compensation balance. The balance cock is equipped with precision regulation and the movement is signed C. Fasoldt, Albany, N.Y. It is further engraved with patent dates: FEB. 1, 1859; APR. 5, 1864; and MAR. 7, 1865.
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The watch has an eccentric white enamel dial with Roman numerals, an outer minute ring, and a subsidiary seconds dial. The hands are blued steel moons, and the dial is also signed C. Fasoldt, Albany, N.Y.  It has a later purpose built 18 carat gold case featuring engine turned covers, polished bezels, a hinged glazed cuvette, and a gold pendant and bow. The casemaker’s mark is MRM, indicating Martin Matthews. Additionally, there is an associated unsigned tooled leather fitted box.
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Diameter: 54 mm
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Signed: C. Fasoldt, Albany, NY
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The locking slide attached to the band secures the crown in place. The crown features a short stem that ends in a female square setting, which allows the hands to be adjusted through the centre of the glazed cuvette. While the watch allows for keyless winding when the crown is within the pendant, the barrel can also be manually wound through the cuvette.
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The movement is functioning, with the dial cracked between the III and V markers. The case shows signs of wear, including engine turning that has been rubbed and scuffs throughout.
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Charles Fasoldt (1818-1898)
Fasoldt was born in Germany and was sentenced to death in 1848 because he participated in the revolution. He escaped from jail, though and emigrated to the United States. He settled in Albany and began setting up an impressive enterprise, which produced clocks, measuring instruments and microscopes, and his famous watches. Furthermore, he sold the watches for 150 to 300 dollars per piece, which was a considerable price then. All watches were designed by Fasoldt and nearly all of his patented anker escapement. For his pocket watches, he invented a mechanism for winding and setting the hands – this cleared the way for the change from key wind to crown wind systems. Fasoldt patented his extraordinarily dependable escapement on March 7, 1865; the system requires no greasing and has a strong drag angle at both anker pallets. Fasoldt carried out a spectacular test to prove the reliability of his escapement: he attached one of his pocket watches as well as several watches of other makers to the connecting rod of an Empire Express train engine for a return trip to Albany – New York – Albany. After the bumpy ride, Fasoldt’s watch showed only a slight deviation, while all the other watches had stopped after just a few minutes.