Swiss 18K gold minute repeating pocket watch Circa 1917

Gold open faced lever repeating watch
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A Swiss 18 carat yellow gold minute repeating pocket watch made by Vacheron & Constantin in Geneva, circa 1917. The watch has a hand wound mechanical movement with a lever escapement, a compensated bimetallic balance, and two hammers that strike a gong. The gilt dial, later repainted, shows painted Breguet numerals (relumed), a railway style minute track, a subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o’clock, and Breguet hands. The slender case features a monogrammed back and an inner yellow gold cuvette, intricately engraved: Ray E. Frazier, from his wife, Henrietta Ellet Frazier, on their 14th wedding anniversary, June 17, 1917, El Dorado, Kansas. A slide in the band activates the minute repeater. It is signed and numbered, with the dial, case, cuvette, and movement all bearing the Vacheron & Constantin signature. The case is numbered. Also included is a chased silver watch holder with translucent blue enamel over a guilloché ground, painted rose decorations at the four corners, a gilded interior, and a date of June 17, 1919 (gross weight: 164.78 g).
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Diameter: 46 mm
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Weight: 66 g
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Signed: Vacheron & Constantin, Genève – Suisse