Swiss 18 carat gold rare anker chronometer watch Circa 1870

Pocket watch with unusual calendar
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An extremely rare anker chronometer watch with an unusual triple calendar, probably made by Louis Audemars in Genève, Switzerland, circa 1870. This watch features a plain open faced case crafted from 18 carat gold, a cuvette marked with a description of the complications and its serial number suggests it was made by Louis Audemars. The Louis XV enamel dial features an outer minute and hour track with Arabic 5 minute numerals and Roman hour numerals, a subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o’clock, an extremely unusual calendar display with apertures for the day of the week, date and month positioned just above the centre of the dial and gold hands. The very fine, likely, Louis Audemars movement is equipped with an anker chronometer escapement, triple calendar, visible pallets, Breguet overcoil hairspring, wolf’s toothing and a bishop’s crook lever.
The cuvette is signed.
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Diameter: 50 mm
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Weight: 89 g
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Signed: Daniel Genève
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Daniel
The serial number on the actual mechanical “engine” (the movement) inside the watch presented here suggests that it was crafted in the Vallée de Joux by Louis Audemars, one of the most prestigious complication makers in history. According to surviving company production logs, this serial number was a 19 ligne, stem wound, hunter case and 5 minute repeater watch. It was officially sold “en blanc” (as an unadjusted movement and dial assembly) on May 23, 1884, during the liquidation era of the original Audemars firm.

In the 19^th century, luxury movement makers like Louis Audemars rarely sold directly to the public. Instead, they sold their top tier movements to elite retailers or master “finishers” (établisseurs) based in Geneva. Daniel was a high end Genevan watchmaker/retailer who purchased this raw movement. He cased the watch, meticulously finished it, adjusted its timing and engraved his own name – “Daniel Genève” – onto the gold inner cuvette.