Swiss 18K gold quarter repeating chronograph watch Circa 1900

Gold full hunter lever pocket watch
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A large Swiss 18 carat gold hunting cased quarter repeating keyless pocket watch with chronograph, made by Invicta, circa 1900. This watch features a mechanical movement that strikes hours and quarters on demand, pendant winding, a Breguet balance spring, lever escapement, and a column wheel. It has a signed white enamel dial with painted Arabic numerals, a minute track, outer minute and fifth of a second chronograph divisions, a small seconds hand at 6 o’clock, a central seconds hand for the chronograph, and Louis XV style hands. The plain polished case is 18 carat gold, with a gilt metal clasp.
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Diameter: 57 mm.
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Weight: 113.5 g
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Signed: Invicta
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Swiss watchmaker Invicta was established in 1837 by Raphaël Picard (1810-1884) under the name R. Picard in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland. Around 1890, it was renamed Les Fils de R. Picard. His successors included Armand Picard (1856-1926) and Gabriel Picard (1865-1935).
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In 1895, Picard earned a gold medal at Bordeaux’s National Exhibition. The name Invicta, meaning “invincible” in Latin, came from the company’s motto to provide high quality Swiss watches at affordable prices. The company offered standard pocket watches and models with striking mechanisms, calendars, moon phase displays, and chronographs, all powered by movements from Charles-Ami Barbezat-Baillot. Invicta’s brand name was first introduced in 1896, alongside Telescope. By 1906, the company employed 26 people; by 1922, this number increased to 30.
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During World War I, Invicta shifted to munitions production, collaborating with firms such as Mirum SA, Zeno, Eigeldinger & Co. (34 employees in 1912 and 40 in 1922), and the Ebel factory owned by the Blum family (23 employees in 1912, 25 in 1922). The factory was based at Léopold-Robert 109, in a new building designed by architect Eugène Schaltenbrand, shortly after 1906. From around 1913, the company worked closely with Seeland Watch Co. In the 1970s, with the rise of quartz watches, sales declined sharply, leading to the end of production.
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In 1991, an American investment firm acquired the company, which was then operated by the Picard family. Today, Invicta Watch Group’s main headquarters are in Hollywood, Florida.