Swiss 18k gold minute repeating pocket watch Circa 1900

Open faced pocket watch by Horlogerie Galli
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A Swiss fine minute repeating gentleman’s pocket watch, circa 1900.
Bridge movement, rhodium-plated, Geneva Stripes decoration,  two hammers /  two gongs, screw compensation balance, index spring fine adjusting device. 18-Carat gold, polished case with a signed gold dome. Signed silvered dial with luminous Arabic numerals, auxiliary seconds, and, blued Breguet hands.
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Diameter: 47 mm
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Weight: 76 g
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Signed: Horlogerie Galli, Zurich
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Galli Uhren Bijouterie AG, Swiss jeweller – watch dealer and watchmaker
The Galli company was founded in 1882 by Paul Galli when he took over a small shop on Oberdorfstrasse from a watchmaker. Paul Galli was trained as a watchmaker at Louis Futter in Königsberg Nm. After leaving school, the young watchmaker began to travel. He finally came to Zurich, where he worked as a watchmaker’s assistant at J. Siegfried and later at the Lansel company.
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The main work in the shop on Oberdorfstrasse was not selling these watches, but repairing them. He moved from Oberdorfstrasse to Tonhallenplatz at Tonhallenstrasse 20. (today’s Theaterstrasse 20), also known as Bellevueplatz. Oberdorfstrasse lost its importance with the expansion of Bahnhofstrasse, but the location on Tonhallenplatz was not ideal either, but it got better and better over time. The shop had meanwhile moved to Theaterstrasse 16. Galli Uhren Bijouterie AG is still represented at this prominent location today. He was succeeded by Max Galli. He got his first experience with watchmaking as a little boy because the watchmaker’s workshop was also located in his father’s apartment. Furthermore, he worked in his father’s business and with the watchmaker in Le Ponts-de-Martel.
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The third generation of Bruno Galli joined the company in 1953. He was trained as a watchmaker at the Technikum in Le Locle but stayed after his training at the Technicum to finish his tourbillon marine chronometer with which he won many prizes. Before Bruno Galli started the business, he went to Quebec, Canada for two years in 1951 to learn the English language. Afterwards, like his father, he attended a course at the Juventus trading school in Zurich. Unfortunately, Max Galli passed away on May 17th In 1972 and just 2 months later, his son and managing director Bruno Galli died at the age of only 42. Ehefray Nelly Galli took over all managerial tasks in the company with immediate effect. With very generous help from the surrounding shops, employees and customers, Nelly Galli was able to lead the company through the great watch crisis. Suppliers such as Omega and IWC have also continuously supported and encouraged Nelly Galli and helped in numerous meetings to maintain the well-known Galli service.
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July 1, 1983, The eldest son of Nelly and Bruno Galli, Mario Galli, started the business at the age of 24, he did not do a watchmaking apprenticeship but a commercial apprenticeship. The story of Galli lives on and thanks to Mario Galli’s three sons, the fifth generation is ready to continue the family business, which is now over 125 years old.
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Today the company is a representative of the watch brands Breitling, Ebel, Hublot, IWC, Oris, Longines, Maurice Lacroix, Omega, Jacob Jensen, Swatch and Tissot.