Swiss 18k rose gold quarter repeating lever watch Circa 1872

Gold hunting cased quarter repeater by Louis Audemars
–
A very fine Swiss 18 carat rose gold hunting cased quarter repeating lever pocket watch, circa 1872. Retailed by Le Roy & Fils. Frosted gilt movement, 23 jewels, wolf’s tooth winding, counterpoised straight-line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance with gold meantime and temperature adjustment screws, blued steel Breguet balance spring with overcoil, index regulator, repeating on gongs activated by a slide on the band. Gold hinged gold cuvette. White enamel dial with narrow Roman numerals, outer minute track, Arabic five minute numerals, subsidiary seconds and original gold spade hands. Plain case, the front engraved with a monogram, mastermark MF. Case with Louis Audemars’ trademark, cuvette signed by retailer, case numbered and movement numbered on the dial plate. Accompanied by a fitted box.
–
Diameter: 52 mm
–
Signed: Louis Audemars – Le Roy & Fils H.gers de la Marine Palais Royal 13 & 15 Gal.ie Montpensier Paris
–
Louis Audemars (1782-1833), born in La Vallée de Joux, at 16 Louis Audemars was apprenticed to Philippe Meylan and soon established his reputation for the fine workmanship of his movements. All eight of Audemars’ sons continued in the family firm, making finished movements and around 1837 inventing the keyless winding/setting system known today as the Audemars system. In 1848 Audemars began producing complete watches. The company became recognized as one of the best, furnishing the major Swiss and French manufacturers such as Le Roy, Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin with highly complicated watches and movements.