Austrian automatic winding silver pocket watch Circa 1880

Silver open faced pocket watch by August Ritter von Loehr 
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An Austrian rare gentleman’s pocket watch “Perpetuale Löhr  Patent” with pedometer system and automatic winding by oscillating weight, circa 1880.
Silver engine turned case with reeded band and case maker punch mark “EdNt”.
Enamel dial with radial Roman hours, auxiliary seconds, two tachymeter indicators: left: divided in four quarter miles, right: miles up to 50 miles and blued spade hands. Oscillating weight wind movement, frosted and gilt, with ring balance and blued balance spring.
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Diameter: 47 mm
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Weight: 86 g
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Signed: August Ritter von Löhr
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Viennese engineer, August Ritter von Löhr was born in Venice on May 5, 1847. In 1878 he registered an English patent for a pocket watch movement with automatic winding via a pendulum flywheel ( pedometer principle, step counter principle).

Von Löhr had pocket watches made with this movement in his own workshop ( Selfwinding Watch Co. ) in London . Two housing designs were used: round and square. The latter was made by Hahn Frères & Cie. made in Landeron (Swiss watch company founded in 1875 ).

Von Löhr’s pocket watch was the only automatic watch of its kind that achieved a certain level of popularity. After all, around 4,000 pieces of the round version were manufactured and sold. Löhr had the elevator and the housing bracket protected by the following patents in Germany and England: DE 1903, DE 3939, DE 14939, GB 1473 (1880), GB 4781 (1880).