Rare English platinum gold half hunting cased lever Circa 1912

Half hunter with 18-carat gold movement by Joseph White
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An English platinum and gold half-hunting cased keyless lever watch with 18-carat gold movement, circa 1912. Solid 18-carat gold 3/4 plate fully jewelled club tooth lever movement with interlaced circle decoration, screwed gold chatons, bimetallic compensation balance, blued steel spiral spring with overcoil, diamond endstone, free-sprung regulator. Hinged platinum cuvette. Engine turned silver dial, black enamel Roman numerals, outer beady minute divisions and sunk subsidiary seconds. Heavy plain case, inlaid blue enamel Roman numerals and inner railway minute divisions on raised chapter ring to the glazed aperture in the front, gold crown and 18-carat gold bow. Case and cuvette stamped with casemaker’s mark WN (William Neal, Coventry) and numbered, movement signed and stamped with London date letter for 1912.
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Diameter: 51 mm
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Weight: 149 g
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Signed: Joseph White & Son Makers to the Admiralty, Coventry
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Joseph White (1835-1906)
Joseph White & Son in Coventry produced simple pocket watches as well as fine repeater watches and chronographs of all kinds; their speciality though was the making of tourbillons, flying tourbillons and carousel watches – the latter mainly because of their close relationship with Bahne Bonniksen. The inventor lived and worked in Coventry and the Whites were his licensees. Of course, the company regularly took part in observatory tests at Kew and was often successfully placed, with several first places. Joseph White was also involved in other technical ventures in Coventry. He died on March 14, 1906, and his son Howard continued the success of the business.