Swiss gold repeating pocket watch with chronograph Circa 1880

Gold open faced lever
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A Swiss 18 carat pink gold minute repeating keyless pocket watch with chronograph, circa 1880. A polished case, co axial button in the crown for the start/stop and return to zero functions of the chronograph with a hinged gold cuvette. White enamel dial with radial Roman numerals, outer minutes and fifths of second divisions calibrated to 300 units, subsidiary seconds and pink gold spade hands. Rhodium plated movement, 35 jewels, counterpoised straight line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, blued steel Breguet balance spring, index regulator, repeating on gongs activated by a slide on the band. Dial signed, case punched A.F. & Ce. and numbered.
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Diameter: 53 mm
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Signed: Borel & Courvoisier  Neuchâtel
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Borel Fils
The Borel Fils & Cie watch company was established in 1856 in Neuchâtel, Switzerland by watchmaker Jules Borel. In 1859, along with his brother in law, Paul
Courvoisier, Borel established the Borel & Courvoisier watch company. They won several awards in the late 19^th century including first place in the 1866 Neuchâtel Observatory timing accuracy competition. In 1898, Jules’ son, Ernest Borel, took over the company and he formally changed the name to Ernest Borel & Cie the following year. Ernest Borel was the head of the company until 1936, when his son, Jean-Louis Borel, succeeded him as manager. In 1975, the company was bought by the firm Aubry Frère S.A. It was sold to a Hong Kong based company in 1989.