Swiss 18K gold split-seconds chronograph watch Circa 1910

Gold minute repeating dress watch 
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A very fine, thin Swiss, 18K yellow gold keyless watch with split-seconds chronograph and minute repeating, circa 1910. A solid, polished case, hinged gold cuvette.  White enamel dial with painted black Breguet numerals, outer minute/seconds and 1/5th seconds divisions with red five-minute markers, sunk subsidiary dials for the seconds and 30-minute register. Oxidized spade hands. A maillechort movement, oeil-de-perdrix decoration, 33 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, blued steel Breguet balance spring, swan-neck micrometre regulator, visible chronograph works. Dial and movement signed, case numbered. Property of an American Gentleman.
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Diameter: 47 mm
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Signed: Audemars Piguet & Co  Geneva
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Dial is reprinted
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A split-seconds chronograph or ‘rattrapante’ is a type of chronograph watch with two coaxial superimposed centre seconds hands that are controlled by two push-buttons. One push-button controls the split-seconds hand to stop or join the chronograph hand. The other push buttons control both hands and all the functions of the chronograph. The chronograph hand and the split-seconds hand are used for timing several events that start simultaneously but are of different durations. To operate the split-seconds chronograph, both hands are started and remain superimposed. Then at the end of the first duration, the split-seconds hand can be stopped while the chronograph hand continues to move. The duration of the first event can be read. After recording, the split-seconds hand can be released to instantly move and join the chronograph hand, synchronizing with it and thus being ready for another recording. At the end of each event, the hands can be stopped and returned to zero.