Swiss gold watch with perpetual calendar and moon phase Circa 1880

Gold hunting cased lever
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A Swiss 18 carat yellow gold hunting cased pocket watch with perpetual calendar and moon phase, circa 1880. An engine turned case with polished borders and a hinged gold cuvette. Glazed gold rimmed cover to view the movement. White enamel dial with radial Roman numerals, outer minute track, subsidiary dials for the days of the week, the months of the leap year cycle, the dates and the seconds with inner moon phase aperture and blued steel halberd hands. Matte gilt brass, three quarter plate movement, jeweled to the third wheel with screwed gold chatons, lateral lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, blued steel Breguet balance spring, index regulator. Movement signed.
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Diameter: 51.5 mm
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Signed: Charles Edouard Lardet  Fleurier, Swiss
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Charles Edouard Lardet (Fleurier 1832 – Madrid 1904), was a watchmaker originally from Val de Travers who settled in Spain. From 1877 he was Consul General of Switzerland in Madrid. Lardet, who was highly respected and influential in Madrid, rendered great service to the Helvetic Confederation during the difficult times that the country was going through at the time. The modern chronograph with start, stop and return to zero functions was invented by Adolphe Nicole in London in 1861 (British Invention Patent No. 1 461 dated May 14, 1862) and presented at the 1862 World Exhibition in London.
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In 1868, Geneva watchmaker Auguste Baud (1825-1894) decided to place the entire chronograph mechanism behind the watch’s calibre for ease of assembly and adjustment. Very soon he worked with Adrien Philippe (1815-1894), one of the founders of Patek Philippe, and developed numerous watches for the Geneva manufactory in the years 1870-1880. In 1878, during the Paris World Fair, Auguste Baud received a bronze medal for his invention. The extremely fine chronograph shown here was manufactured at the same time.