Swiss 18 carat gold minute repeating clockwatch Circa 1890

Carillon minute repeater with grande sonnerie
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An extremely fine and rare Swiss 18 carat rose gold hunting cased minute repeating keyless lever two-train carillon grande sonnerie clockwatch made for the Chinese market, circa 1890. Frosted gilt movement, double train with differential winding, 23 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, blued steel Breguet balance spring, index regulator, striking the hours and quarters on three gongs with three hammers, Silence/Sonnerie selection lever on the bezel border, repeating activated by a push-piece in the band. Hinged gold cuvette.
White enamel dial with Roman numerals, outer minute track, subsidiary seconds and original spade hands. Case with polished borders. Dial with Chinese characters. Signed case, dial and movement.
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Diameter: 47 mm
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Signed: Zenith
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The watch is in mint condition and the grande sonnerie is functioning perfectly. It remains the earliest and the finest quality complicated watch by Racine, with this feature, known so far and the premises of what Zenith ordered in the early 1900s from Racine and what was manufactured by themselves later. In complicated watches, César Racine can be compared to Louis Audemars (who was earlier) or to Victorin Piguet (who was later). Note the small size of the movement (16”’) usually seen in 19”’ or larger sizes.

This type of minute repeating Grande Sonnerie clockwatch movement with carillon on three gongs with three stacked hammers but without Petite Sonnerie, were usually commercialized by Zenith using the Racine patent.