Swiss gold, carillon Westminster repeating watch Circa 1920

Gold watch in Longines fitted wooden box
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A very fine and very rare, 18K gold Swiss, hunting cased, a keyless pocket watch with carillon Westminster chime minute repeating, circa 1920. Accompanied by the original Longines fitted wooden box. Hinged gold cuvette. White enamel dial, Breguet numerals, outer minute track, subsidiary seconds. Blued steel spade hands. A gilt brass movement, 32 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance with blued steel Breguet balance spring, index regulator, repeating on four gongs with four hammers activated by a slide in the band. Signed on the dial.
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Diameter: 55 mm
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Signed: Eduard Jean Richard / Longines Le Locle
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Carillon minute repeating watches are very rare; only a few are known with Westminster chimes. Eduard Jean Richard specialized in musical watches. He made a carillon watch with seven gongs playing the Swiss National Anthem. He founded his own retail company in 1915. Before that he specialized in ebauches made for other companies. In the 1920s, in addition to regular watches, the company advertized carillon watches, playing, among other tunes, “God save the King”.