French gunmetal keyless People’s Tourbillon watch Circa 1905

Open faced keyless tourbillon watch attributed to Paul Loichot
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A French gun metal open faced keyless one minute People’s Tourbillon watch with lever escapement, circa 1905. The watch features a gilded full plate movement with a lever escapement mounted on a one minute tourbillon carriage, bimetallic compensation balance, and a backplate stamped with Brevet 30754 and numbered 896. It has an asymmetrical white enamel dial framed by polychrome enamel painted flowers, adorned with Roman numerals, an outer gilt pearled minute ring, filigree hands, and a large aperture beneath that reveals the gilt metal tourbillon carriage. The case is polished gunmetal, complemented by a pink gold bezel.
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Diameter: 57.5  mm
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Signed: No name
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The movement is running. The hand setting is functional. The dial has a small chip at the edge below 5 o’clock. The case has been repolished, and the glass is a little loose.
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Paul Loichot of Charquemont, France, applied for a patent for his tourbillon watch on 11 June 1904 under patent 30754. In his book Das Tourbillon, Meis explains that Loichot did not refer to his watch as a tourbillon but rather as a watch in which the carriage and escapement are visible from the dial side. The clear advantage of mounting the carriage to the front of the watch is that it allows its owner to observe the mesmerising action of the tourbillon carriage easily. Watches of this type were produced in relatively large quantities and are today often referred to as the “People’s Tourbillon.” The movements were invariably housed in nickel, silver, or gunmetal cases. A detailed description of Loichot’s movement can be found in R. Meis, Das Tourbillon, 1986.