English gold perpetual calendar minute repeater Circa 1902

Perpetual calendar and minute repeating chronograph
–
A very fine English heavy gold hunting cased perpetual calendar minute repeating chronograph watch with moon phases, circa 1902, gilded frosted three quarter plate movement, ratchet tooth lever escapement, bimetallic compensation balance, diamond endstone, micrometre regulation, pollished steel chronograph work visible to the backplate.
Off white Willis enamel dial, Roman numerals, outer ring for minutes/chronograph seconds, four subsidiary dials for months/leap year indication combined with 60 minute register, day of the week, date, subsidiary seconds combined with aperture for moon phases, outer minute ring, blued steel spade hour, minute, constant seconds and chronograph hands, gold hands for calendar indications, signed Hector Golay, London.
Gold case, plain covers with stepped bezels, 2 adjusters to the inner bezel for adjusting day and date in tandem and separately for moon phases, gold hand-set button with olivette to the band, plain polished gold cuvette, thief proof revolving bow, covers, cuvette, pendant and bow hallmarked for 18 Carat gold, covers, cuvette and pendant with maker’s mark F.T. in oval cameo for Fred Thoms.
–
Diameter: 58 mm
–
Signed: Hector Golay London
–
Although the movement of this watch uses a Swiss ébauche, it does include some English components such as the ratchet tooth lever escapement and the balance and spring. The three quarter plate design of the movement with its frosted, gilded, finish is also typically English in appearance. For the heavy gold case and off-white enamel dial, Golay used the finest makers of the period: Willis for the dial and Thoms for the case. It is unusual for Golay to sign his own watches – the majority of his pieces were made for other members of the trade, including Frodsham. An extremely talented watchmaker, working at the highest level of precision watchmaking, Hector Golay produced some of the finest English complication watches of the late 19th century.