Swiss/American minute repeating keyless lever chronograph Circa 1885

Rose gold repeating chronograph by American Watch Case Co
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A very fine Swiss/American 14 carat rose gold minute repeating keyless lever chronograph pocket watch, circa 1880s. Rhodium-plated movement, Geneva Striping decoration, 31 jewels, wolf’s tooth winding, counterpoised straight-line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, blued steel Breguet balance spring with overcoil, index regulator, repeating on gongs activated by a slide on the band. A hinged gold cuvette. White enamel dial with Roman hours, an outer minute track with fifths of a second chronograph divisions and Arabic five-second numerals, subsidiary seconds at 6 o’clock and partially replaced blued steel spade hands. A polished case by the American Watch Case Co. Dial signed Patek, Philippe & Co Genève, case signed A.W.C.Co, case and movement numbered.
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Diameter: 51 mm
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Thickness: 17 mm
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Signed: Patek, Philippe & Co Genève
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Although unsigned, the movement of this timepiece is very high-grade and certainly equal to the Patek Philippe standard. However, the numbers of the watch do not correspond to any watch in the Patek Philippe archives and therefore the dial signature must be considered erroneous. Henry Oppenheimer founded the American Watch Case Company in 1893 in New York and only made cases in solid 14 or 18 carat gold.