Rare English silver lever with one minute tourbillon Circa 1895

Silver open faced lever watch with tourbillon by Hedgethorne
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A very fine and rare English silver open faced lever pocket watch with a one-minute tourbillon, type 1, by Auguste Grether, Ponts de Martel, circa 1895.
Specially designed, glazed, frosted gilt bridge movement, la Sagne, keywind, chain/fusee, executed mirror-polished steel tourbillon cage with filigree decorations of a heart and two arrows, chatoned, club tooth lever escapement, gold screwed compensation balance, free-sprung blued balance spring. Signed, off-white (Willis) enamel dial with Roman hours, auxiliary seconds and blued spade hands. Plain silver case with case maker’s punch mark FT (Frederick Thoms).
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Diameter: 56 mm
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Weight: 155 g
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Signed: Pt. C. Hedgethorne Brighton
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Hedgethorne is listed as an excellent chronometer maker in ‘Thomas Mercer, chronometer makers of the world.
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Not much is known about Auguste Grether (1817-1887). He trained to become a watchmaker in Ponts-de-Martel and Le Locle and later worked for the best companies in La Chaux-de-Fonds and Le Locle, where he concentrated on the production of marine chronometers. Grether specialized in the creation of fine mechanical parts that were, for example, used in the production of tourbillons.