Swiss lever with highly unusual stem winding system Circa 1873

Rose gold lever pocket watch by Patek Philippe
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A very fine and extremely rare Swiss 18 Carat rose gold lever pocket watch with highly unusual patent stem winding and hand setting system invented by O. Courvoisier in 1873, both functions from the crown, circa 1876. Sold on May 5th, 1881. Matte gilt movement, 15 jewels, straight line moustache lever escapement, cut bi metallic compensation balance with adjustment screws, blued steel flat balance spring, index regulator, winding and hand setting wheels beneath a further plate on the backplate, the stem turning anticlockwise to set the hands, clockwise to wind. Gold hinged cuvette. White enamel dial with Roman numerals, outer minute track, subsidiary seconds and original blued steel spade hands. Polished case, the back with an engraved monogram JB.
Cuvette and case signed and numbered, movement punch numbered on the dial plate. Accompanied by the Extract from the Archives.
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Diameter: 46 mm
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Signed: Patek, Philippe & Co Genève
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The very unusual stem winding system used in this watch was invented by O. Courvoisier in 1873, English patent No. 1114. As a new invention when this watch was made, the system was evidently tried ‘experimentally’ by Patek Philippe in a very small number of watches. The system works by the shifting of a large wheel which engages with a further wheel on the center wheel arbour for hand setting when the crown is turned anti clockwise, when the crown is turned clockwise the wheel disengages and winds the mainspring.