Rare Swiss gold double sided mystery watch Circa 1885

Gold pocket watch with hands moved by rotating glass discs
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A rare and almost as new Swiss gold gentleman’s pocket watch with hands moved by rotating glass discs, circa 1885. Only a few watches of this type were produced in gold.
The case is rose gold, glazed on both sides and very finely engraved with foliage and mascaron in Renaissance style. The dial has rotating glass discs with applied flower hands and Arabic numerals. And the crescent shaped movement is frosted and gilt with cylinder escapement and ring balance.
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Diameter: 54 mm
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Weight: 98 g
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Signed: A.S. & F., La Chaux de Fonds, “Mystérieuse”, Brevete S.G.D.G.
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Armand Schwob & Frère AS & F.
(other company names: Draper Watch Co. and AS & F. Macolin Watch Co.)
Armand Schwob & Frère was based in La Chaux-de-Fonds at 14 avenue Leopold Robert. The company was founded on November 1st, 1881 and registered on January 27th, 1883 as a company for the manufacture of metal clocks of its own in La Chaux de Fonds. The company was owned by Armand Schwob & Abrabam Schwob, who came from Basel but lived in Paris. In Paris, the company was represented with a sales point for watches and jewellery on 19 Boulevard Bonne-Nouvelle.

In 1883 she was also represented at the exhibition in Amsterdam and offered brand watches AS & F., but also under the name Patek Cie in. On July 9, 1885, at the Antwerp World’s Fair, an unfortunate discovery was made. The jury, accompanied by Adrien Philippe, stepped forward to examine the shop window of Armand Schwob & Frère. A scandal was triggered by the presence of a pocket watch with serial number 26291 and the signature “Patek & Cie” in Geneva. In 1886 a watch was offered for repair at Patek Philippe. But it was again a watch with the initials AS & F. A final proof surfaced in the year1890 with the testimony of Georges Roulet, who said he had already engraved the name “Pateck & Cie, Geneva” at the formal written request of Armand Schwob & Frère.

The Schwob company was then sued for infringement of naming rights and convicted in 1890 and had to pay 15,000 francs in addition to a ban on the use of the name “Pateck” or “Patek”. In the trial at that time, a witness reported that Schwob had been doing it for 50 years (i.e. 1833)? would use the name Patek Cie for their watches (see also: Pateck ). This conviction was published in five newspapers voted for by “Patek Philippe & Cie” and added all legal costs. The firm in Paris and La Chaux de Fonds was declared bankrupt in 1892