Swiss 18 carat gold open faced dress watch Circa 1920

Gold dress watch by European Watch & Clock Company Inc.
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A Swiss 18 carat yellow gold open faced dress watch, circa 1920. 16″ ligne manual winding movement with 19 jewels and lever escapement. Cream guilloche dial with Roman numerals, outer railway minute divisions, subsidiary seconds, and blued steel Breguet style hands. The 18 carat yellow gold case has a snap on case back with RDN monogram and a personal inscription along the inner case back. The dial is signed Cartier, and the case and movement are signed European Watch and Clock Co. The case is numbered 15457, 8400, with a hand scratched Cartier inventory number on the inner rim at 6 o’clock (9193).
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Diameter: 46 mm
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Signed: Cartier – European Watch and Clock Co
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The case is in very good condition, exhibiting surface wear and scuffing throughout. A small section of the case band shows light scratches and scuffs, probably due to opening and closing. The case back features a blue enamel monogram and displays some light patina. The dial is generally in good condition with minor surface wear. The hands show wear and patina, and there is some fading on the Roman numeral track, along with light dust. The movement is running smoothly.
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European Watch & Clock Company Inc./French Swiss Watch Manufacturer
The European Watch and Clock Company Incorporated was established in the 1920s as a joint venture between Cartier and Edmond Jaeger of the LeCoultre & Cie watch factory. While Cartier collaborated with other movement manufacturers such as Vacheron Constantin, Audemars Piguet, and Movado, many of their premier pieces featured movements from the European Watch & Clock Company, which were produced at Jaeger-LeCoultre’s facility in Le Sentier, Switzerland. Watch cases were crafted in Paris, Geneva, London, and New York, with each location responsible for producing its own wristwatches; however, the French branch also exported its watches to other outlets. In 1930, Jaeger partnered with Jacques-David LeCoultre under the Jaeger-LeCoultre brand. In the 1920s, Henri Rodanet (1884–1956), the technical director of Etablissements Ed. Jaeger, developed the Duoplan calibre, renowned for being one of the smallest watch movements with exceptional precision.