Swiss 18K gold minute repeating pocket watch Circa 1900

Gold hunting cased pocket watch by Invicta
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A fine gold, chronometer quality, Swiss hunting cased pocket watch with minute repeater, circa 1900.
Engine turned 18K gold case, all three lids made of gold, case number 42947, the dome signed and inscribed: Chronometre Invicta-Repetition a Minutes. Signed enamel dial in very good condition with Breguet-style radial hours, outer minutes track, subsidiary dial for the seconds, and blued steel pear hands. Fine Swiss lever movement with repetition of the hours, quarter hours and minutes.
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Diameter: 53 mm
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Weight: 105 g
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Signed: Invicta Swiss Made
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In 1837, Raphaël Picard (1810-1884) founded the company R. Picard in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. Around 1890, the company was renamed Les Fils de R. Picard by successors Armand Picard (1856-1926) and Gabriel Picard (1865-1935). In 1896, Invicta was trademarked as a watch, parts, boxes and packaging brand name. Invicta and Telescope were registered for watches.

By 1911, the name Invicta, which was derived from Latin, meaning ‘invincible’, was included in the company’s name. The company’s motto was to offer high quality Swiss watches at affordable prices. In addition to regular pocket watches, they supplied timepieces with complications such as striking mechanisms, calendars, moon phases and chronographs with movements by Charles-Ami Barbezat-Baillot. In 1906, the company had 26 employees, in 1922, there were 30.

Invicta was still trading in the 1960’s. The company also traded under the names Seeland Watch Co. and Eno Watch Co. Ads for both Invicta and Seeland in 1922 mentioned a Gold Medal won by the firm in 1914 at the Swiss Exhibition in Berne. Fils de R. Picard & Cie, Invicta was listed from 1920 to 1925. Another firm which they were associated with, Seeland, was listed in 1920 for thin watches at the same address as Invicta. In 1923, this firm was listed as both Seeland Atelier de Terminages and Seeland Watch Co. In 1940, Invicta was further imported to the United States by Morris Hoffman as Invicta-Seeland Inc., New York. Seeland became Iseca SA, La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1967. In 1970, Invicta and Waltham were financially integrated. In 1982, Iseca SA was withdrawn from the Register of Commerce by decision of the shareholders. Eventually in 1986, Invicta was listed as a brand of Ondix SA.