Large Swiss 18K gold repeating keyless lever watch Circa 1920

Gold minute repeater by Ulysse Nardin
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A very fine and large Swiss 18 carat gold open faced minute repeating keyless lever pocket watch, circa 1920. Rhodium-plated movement, 29 jewels, wolf’s tooth winding, a straight-line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, blued steel Breguet balance spring and index regulator, repeating on gongs activated by a slide on the band. A hinged gold cuvette. White enamel dial with dauphine numerals, an outer minute track, subsidiary seconds at 6 o’clock and blued steel poire hands. The case is polished. Dial signed, case and movement signed and numbered.
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Diameter: 53 mm
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Signed: Ulysse Nardin Locle & Genève
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Ulysse Nardin SA is a Swiss luxury watchmaking company. Founded in 1846 in Le Locle, Switzerland bearing the name of its founder Ulysse Nardin. It has remained in continuous production since. The company became best known for manufacturing highly accurate marine chronometers (of which the anchor in the company logo is a reminder nowadays) used by over 50 of the world’s navies from the end of the 19th century till 1950. Furthermore, pocket watches with complications such as moon phases, a perpetual calendar, repetition and an alarm function were produced. According to the last official report of Neuchâtel Observatory in Switzerland, Ulysse Nardin had won numerous awards and honours for its marine chronometers from 1846 to 1975, including 4324 certificates, 2411 special prizes and 18 gold medals at International exhibitions. 

Ulysse was born in 1823 in Le Locle, Switzerland. He first trained as an apprentice horologist under his father, Léonard-Fédéric Nardin and perfected his skills under the tutelage of Frédéric-William Dubois and Louis JeanRichard-dit-Bressel. Two master watchmakers who were experts in precision watches and whose fame extended beyond the mountains of Neuchâtel. Ulysse established his own workshop at the age of 23. Despite growing up in the Jura mountains, he was fascinated by the sea and therefore produced nautical timekeeping instruments. The number of employees in 1900 was an impressive 300. The company was taken over and re-invigorated in 1983 by Rolf W. Schnyder who transformed it into a profitable business. Since 2014, it has been a subsidiary of the French luxury group Kering. Ulysse Nardin has operated out of the same building headquartered in Le Locle since 1865.