Swiss gold lever with quarter-seconds diablotine Circa 1865

Gold independent centre seconds lever by Huguenin & Sons
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A fine Swiss 18 carat gold hunting cased double train independent centre seconds pocket watch with quarter-second diablotine, circa 1865. Nickel movement, Geneva striping, 25 jewels, double train with two barrels, straight-line counterpoised lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance with blued steel flat balance spring, index regulator. Hinged gold cuvette with engine-turned border. White enamel dial with Roman numerals, outer minute track, outermost seconds divisions, subsidiary quarter-second diablotine and original blued steel Breguet hands. Engine-turned case, reeded band, faux winding crown for releasing the front cover, button for the centre seconds and diablotine at 12. Cuvette and movement signed.
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Diameter: 53 mm.
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Signed: J. Huguenin & Sons Locle
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Huguenin & Fils was founded in the mid-19th century in Le Locle by Adolphe Huguenin. They exhibited watches and chronometers at the International Exhibition in Philadelphia in 1876. The firm registered its name in 1880 as required by the 1879 law with the trademark ‘A. Huguenin & Sons, Locle’ and for chronometers ‘A. Huguenin & Fils’.
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The feature known as a diablotine is a small subsidiary dial on a chronograph or independent centre seconds pocket watch, the hand of which moves in a jumping manner at intervals of 1/4 or 1/5th of a second. The term literally means ‘little devil’. The diablotine is halted when the chronograph or centre seconds is stopped and the fractions of a second can be read.