Swiss 18K gold quarter repeating pocket watch Circa 1830

Gold open faced lever repeater watch
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A fine Swiss 18 carat yellow gold open faced quarter repeating pocket watch made by Houriet Père et Fils, circa 1830. It has a mechanical key winding movement with a lever escapement, ten ruby holes, visible lifts, and a compensating balance. The watch features a push button striking repeating system. The white enamel dial shows black Roman numerals for the hours, an outer minute track, a subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o’clock, and Breguet style hands. The timepiece is housed in an 18 carat solid yellow gold open faced case with a sturdy round suspension bow. The reverse back cover is beautifully chased and engraved with a detailed architectural scene depicting Saint Peter in Rome. It has a matching gold cuvette inscribed Houriet Père et fils, au socle en Suisse.
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Diameter: 48 mm
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Weight: 68.4 g
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Signed: Houriet Père et Fils au socle en Suisse
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Houriet Père et Fils represents a highly significant lineage in Swiss horology. The family legacy is anchored by the master watchmaker Jacques-Frédéric Houriet (1743–1830), widely revered as the father of Swiss chronometry. After training in Paris alongside masters like Ferdinand Berthoud and Abraham-Louis Breguet, Houriet returned to Le Locle, Switzerland, where he established an elite workshop and pioneered scientific advancements in timekeeping, including the development of spherical balance springs. The signature Houriet Père et Fils was used as the family enterprise passed through subsequent generations, including his sons and partners who maintained his uncompromising standards of precision and mechanical luxury. Timepieces signed au socle en Suisse highlight the firm’s distinguished foundation and heritage within the Swiss Jura region, serving as a historical hallmark of superior mechanical engineering. Today, watches produced by the Houriet dynasty in the 19th century are rare and highly celebrated by collectors for their historical importance, complex complications, and masterful case craftsmanship.