Rare Swiss niëllo-silver quarter repeating pocket watch Circa 1914

Niëllo silver pocket watch with open face by Le Phare
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An extremely rare rifleman keyless niëllo-silver pocket watch with repetition made for shooting contests: Tir Cantonal Du Centenaire 1814-1914, Post Tenebras Lu, circa 1914. The rifle watch features a high-quality, signed, frosted gilt precision lever movement with a quarter-hour repeater, two hammers, two gongs, screwed chatons, a screw compensation balance, and a screwed-on regulator scale. It is housed in an exceptional niëllo silver case with a gold pusher and dust cover adorned with a finely engraved coat of arms representing Geneve Suisse. The enamel dial is signed and in excellent condition, showcasing Breguet-style radial hours, an outer minutes track, a subsidiary dial for the seconds, and red gold pear hands.
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Diameter: 54 mm
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Weight: 98 g
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Signed: Le Phare
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The coat of arms of the canton of Geneva with an eagle, key and the motto Post Tenebras Lux (after darkness comes light) adorns the back cover of this pocket watch in an extremely artistic niello silver design. This seal can also be found in a simplified form as the “Geneva seal” on movements of a special quality.
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Le Phare
On November 30, 1888, Barbezat-Baillot, Charles-Ami registered Le Phare (= the lighthouse) in Le Locle, which he used as the company name from 1905. 1896 Completion of the factory building complex, with constant additions to the original house of Ch. From 1883, Barbezat-Baillot’s production facilities had to expand constantly in response to increasing demand. The company now has 200 employees. Barbezat-Baillot was a brilliant watchmaker and inventor and had a large number of patents registered. The Swiss patent 334 was one of the most important inventions of Barbezat-Baillot and included the use of centrifugal force in the repetition mechanism.