Swiss 18 carat gold open faced lever pocket watch Circa 1915

Gold keyless watch with open face 
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A Swiss 18 carat yellow gold open faced keyless winding pocket watch made by Audemars Frères in Geneva, circa 1915-1920. Gilt movement with a straight line lever escapement, 15 jewels, an index regulator with swan neck spring and micrometric screw, a cut bimetallic compensation balance and blued steel Breguet balance spring. The round shaped, polished case with a hinged back. White enamel dial with radial Breguet style hour numerals, an outer minute track, sunk center, subsidiary seconds at 6 o’clock and original spade hands. Dial, case and movement signed. Accompanied by the original fitted presentation box.
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Diameter: 49 mm
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Signed: Audemars Frères, Genève
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Audemars Frères is a trademark registered in Geneva, Switzerland, in 1913 by J. Lippetz.
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Audemars Frères, a Swiss watch manufacturer
After the bankruptcy of Louis Audemars & Fils, where Charles Henri Audemars senior was director, his two sons, Hector Adolphe Audemars and Charles Henri Audemars junior, founded the company Audemars Frères in Geneva and Le Brassus.
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Lippetz et Cie, a Swiss watch manufacturer
Lippetz et Cie was based in La Chaux-de-Fonds and Geneva. The company was already active around 1883 for at the chronometer competition of 1883, it was mentioned with anker chronometer pocket watch No. 3094, a piece regulated by A. Hirsch. In 1896, at the Exposition Nationale Suisse de Genève, Lippetz et Cie won a silver medal. The company also supplied hunting cased pocket watches with a “Système Glashütte”, i.e. watches with a ¾ plate Glashütte movement. The company went bankrupt in 1917.