Very heavy Swiss early gold hunting casede pocket watch Circa 1865

Early pocket watch with a rare chronograph Diablotine
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An exceptionally heavy, early gold hunting case pocket watch with a rare, independent 1/4 second chronograph Diablotine, made by Jules Huguenin in Locle, Switzerland, circa 1865. The full hunter top quality case of this watch is made of 18 Carat gold, magnificently engraved, engine turned and numbered 13527. The white enamel dial with so called “flashing seconds” and fine steel hands is fully functional. Both the independent central second and the independent 1/4 second can be started and stopped using the chronograph pusher on the edge of the case. The movement has a lever escapement with two barrels and a special balancing lever.
Movement signed.
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Diameter: 55 mm
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Weight: 134 g
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Signed: J. Huguenin, Locle
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Jules Huguenin
Jules Huguenin lived and worked in Locle in Switzerland’s Jura Mountain area during the second half of the 19^th century. He specialized in complicated watches with double trains, split seconds chronograph watches and watches with a ‘foudroyante’ or ‘diablotine’ feature. He made these early, highly interesting chronographs both in the version shown here and with a split seconds hand.
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Diablotine
The feature known as a diablotine is a small subsidiary dial on a chronograph or independent centre seconds pocket watch, the hand of which moves in a jumping manner at intervals of 1/4 or 1/5th of a second. The term literally means ‘little devil’. The diablotine is halted when the chronograph or centre seconds is stopped and the fractions of a second can be read.
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Flashing seconds
In pocket watch making, “flashing seconds” refers to a specific type of second hand movement. Instead of smoothly sweeping around the dial, a flashing seconds hand jumps in small increments, typically once per second. This is achieved through a mechanism called a “deadbeat seconds” or “jumping seconds” mechanism. This feature is often found in high end or luxury pocket watches and is prized for its precision and traditional craftsmanship.