Exceptionally rare Swiss repeating lever with alarm Circa 1881

Silver and gold half hunting cased quarter repeater by Patek Philippe
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Extremely fine, exceptionally rare and unusual Swiss damascened silver and gold half hunting cased quarter repeating two train keyless lever pocket watch with alarm with two hammers, circa 1881. Sold on April 4, 1881. Frosted gilt movement, two train, differential tandem winding, 25 jewels, counterpoised straight-line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance with gold temperature and platinum meantime adjustment screws, blued steel balance spring with Phillips terminal curve, index regulator, repeating with two hammers on two gongs activated by a slide on the band, alarm sounding with two additional hammers on two further gongs. Hinged silver cuvette. White enamel dial with Roman numerals, outer minute track, inner Arabic numerals for the alarm setting. and original blued steel double pear hour and minute hands, additional alarm hand. Large case entirely decorated with a damascened geometric repeated pattern, the front with glazed aperture, Roman numerals, inner minute divisions, gold hinges, crown, repeat slide, neck pieces and setting levers. Accompanied by the original Patek, Philippe & Co rosewood fitted box, original Certificate of Origin, two spare mainsprings and spare crystal, the Extract from the Archives.
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Diameter: 58 mm
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Signed: Patek, Philippe & Co Genève
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Patek Philippe watches with alarm mechanism are very rare and this function was usually only included in their most complicated watches. The alarm is a difficult complication to include in a watch because it takes up a great deal of space within the movement, requiring a separate train to provide the power and extra gongs for the sounding. The present watch appears to be the earliest example of a Patek Philippe watch with alarm mechanism and the first of only two examples made by Patek Philippe with quarter repeating and alarm. This watch is possibly unique, with the large alarm setting numerals on the dial. Another one, No. 198014, made for James Ward Packard, has this feature but with a much smaller alarm dial. The silver damascened case is particularly unusual.