German 14 carat gold chronograph with counter Circa 1900

Pocket watch with precision lever escapement
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A gold chronograph with counter, made by Johannes Dürrstein in Dresden, Germany, circa 1900. This numbered full hunter cased watch crafted from 14 carat gold has three gold lids, the maker’s mark Dürrstein Dresden and a monogram on the front lid. The white enamel dial has Arabic hour numerals, a 1/5^th seconds chronograph, a 30 minute counter at 3 o’clock, a seconds dial at 9 o’clock and gold hands. The movement has a lever escapement and an intermediate wheel chronograph.
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Diameter: 53 mm
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Weight: 106 g
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Dürrstein
Johannes Dürrstein was born on August 22^nd, 1845 in Niederrad and died on May 7^th, 1901. Dürrstein grew up in a middle class family and completed a commercial apprenticeship at the Frankfurt watch wholesaler Ludwig & Fries. He was a German entrepreneur and together with his brother Friedrich, he established his own business in 1874. He repeatedly travelled to Switzerland on business and got to know the important watch manufacturers in the country. The company traded as Dürrstein & Co Glashütte and sold Swiss products as well as watches by A. Lange & Söhne. Nearly 20 years later, in 1893, Dürrstein founded the Uhrenfabrik Union. The watches produced in this manufactory were of outstanding quality and could be made to order with high value complications of all kinds. The range included pocket chronometers, tourbillons and perpetual calendars and usually came with a rating certificate from the Hamburg Observatory. Dürrstein always tried to satisfy the universally strong demand for high quality timepieces and mainly used premium Swiss movements which he bought and cased before selling them to his customers.