Swiss silver split seconds chronograph lever watch Circa 1915

Silver open faced chronograph with instantaneous 30 min register by Longines
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A fine Swiss silver open faced split seconds chronograph keyless lever pocket watch with instantaneous 30 minute register, circa 1915. Frosted gilt movements, 21 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, blued steel Breguet balance spring, index regulator, visible split seconds mechanism. Hinged silver cuvette engraved with the Grand-Prix prize medals. White enamel dial with bold painted dauphine numerals, outer minute track, outermost fifths of a second chronograph divisions, red painted Arabic five seconds numerals, subsidiary seconds dial and 30 minute register with red numerals and original blued steel spade hands. Polished case, gold split seconds push button on the band. Dial, case and cuvette signed.
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Diameter: 52 mm
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Signed: Longines
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A split seconds chronograph, or ‘rattrapante’, is a type of chronograph watch with two coaxial superimposed centre seconds hands that are controlled by two push buttons. One push button controls the split seconds hand to stop or join the chronograph hand. The other push buttons control both hands and all the chronograph functions. The chronograph and split seconds hands are used for timing several events that start simultaneously, but are of different durations. To operate the split seconds chronograph, both hands are started and remain superimposed. Then at the end of the first duration, the split seconds hand can be stopped while the chronograph hand continues to move. The duration of the first event can be read. After recording, the split seconds hand can be released to instantly move and join the chronograph hand, synchronizing with it and thus being ready for another recording. At the end of each event the hands then can be stopped and returned to zero. The split seconds chronograph, in its present form, was first introduced in 1880. Split seconds chronograph wristwatches came on the market circa 1922 by Patek Philippe (the first known wristwatch of this kind was Patek Philippe No. 124824, case No. 235326. This timepiece appeared five years prior to the official release of the split seconds chronograph, making Patek Philippe the first manufacture to create this complication in a wristwatch. As they require a highly complicated and technical mechanism, these watches are desirable, very collectible and extremely difficult to produce accounting for their rarity.