Swiss 18K gold watch with very rare striking train Circa 1915

Gold Westminster chime minute repeating lever watch
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An extremely heavy hunting cased pocket watch with a very rare striking train and carillon with a four hammer minute repeater made by Constant Piguet and Barbezat Bôle in le Locle, Switzerland, circa 1915. The plain case of this full hunter cased watch is crafted from 18 carat gold and the white enamel dial has Arabic hour numerals, an outer minute track, a subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o’clock and blued steel hands. The glazed movement has a very fine Swiss precision lever escapement according to a Constant Piguet patent, a minute repeater with the so called, Westminster chime, a carillon strike with four hammers, 31 jewels and five adjustments.
The movement is signed.
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Diameter: 54 mm
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Weight: 144 g
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Signed: H. Barbezat Bôle, Le Locle
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These watches, mainly manufactured by H. Barbezat-Bôle in Le Locle, Switzerland, are extremely rare and sought after collector’s items. Amongst others, these timepieces were delivered to the Goldsmith & Silversmith Company in London. The movements were made by Constant Piguet. The sister watch of this piece was auctioned in Geneva in 2008 and achieved a record result of around € 37.800.
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Barbezat
The company C. Barbezat-Baillot was founded by Charles Barbezat-Baillot (1847-1938). He was the elder brother of Henri Barbezat-Bôle (1851-1921), the founder of H. Barbezat-Bôle S.A. in Le Locle. Charles Barbezat-Baillot holds many invention patents related to watchmaking and registers numerous trademarks: Trusty, Le Phare, Dix, Fix Watch Co., etc.
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Piguet
In 1896, Constant Piguet was listed as a gong maker in Le Sentier in the canton of Vaud, Switzerland, making carillon repeating watches with four hammers. On March 20, 1896, Piguet patented this system of minute repeat with the carillon under Swiss patent No. 11948. These watches are those for which he is best known today and bear his patent number on the movement.
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Westminster chime
The Westminster carillon is known for its iconic four note melody, which is commonly associated with the clock tower known as Big Ben in London, England. In pocket watch making, this feature utilizes four hammers and gongs to produce the chime.