Swiss gold repeating lever for the Hispanic market Circa 1880

Gold hunting cased minute repeating lever watch
–
A fine, small Swiss 18 carat gold hunting cased minute repeating keyless lever pocket watch made for the Hispanic market, circa 1880. Rhodium plated movement, 29 jewels, counterpoised straight-line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, blued steel Breguet balance spring, index regulator, repeating on gongs activated by a slide on the band. Gold hinged cuvette with engine turned border. Silver and gold dial with painted Roman numerals and subsidiary seconds, outer dot minute track, engraved and applied with a cast gold floral decoration, original black steel spade hands. Case with floral, foliate and geometric chased decoration and cartouche on the front cover with engraved monogram. Cuvette signed.
–
Diameter: 40 mm
–
Signed: Montandon Locle
–
The cuvette of this watch is engraved ‘Repetition à Quarts’ but in fact this watch is a minute repeater.
–
The Montandon firm, based in the Neuchâtel region, often produced watches for the Hispanic market, including South America. They made very high quality watches, with excellent movements featuring many complications, and often with richly decorated, engraved cases.