Swiss astronomical minute repeating pocket watch Circa 1895

Small gold chased and engraved lever watch by Henry Capt
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A fine, rare, and small Swiss gold open faced keyless lever perpetual calendar minute repeating chronograph watch with an elaborately chased and engraved case, circa 1895. This intricate timepiece features a damascened movement with a lever escapement and is jewelled to the centre. It also includes a bimetallic compensation balance, a blued steel overcoil spring, and a partially visible steel chronograph mechanism on the backplate. The watch has two polished steel hammers repeating on coiled gongs and is signed and numbered by Henry Capt, Genève, with a serial number. The gold dial features Roman numerals, a black outer ring for minutes/chronograph seconds with red Arabic numerals, and four sunken subsidiary dials. Each subsidiary dial has shell-form escutcheons at their centres and is calibrated for date, seconds, day in German, and month combined with leap year indication. The watch also has blued steel hands and a central chronograph seconds hand.
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The gold case is intricately decorated, with the back chased and engraved with a pair of winged mythical beasts beside an urn and surrounded by scrolling foliage. The bezel and band are also chased and engraved with geometric motifs, stylized flowers, and foliage. Additionally, there is a pusher to the band beneath 4 o’clock for manually advancing the day and date in tandem, as well as a decoratively engraved sunken repeating slide and an engraved band to the bow. The polished gold cuvette is signed and numbered by Henry Capt à Genève, with the same serial number 39834. The case back bears the maker’s mark JR, possibly JER, in a rectangular cartouche and is also numbered.
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Diameter: 43 mm
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Signed: Henry Capt, Genève
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The movement runs smoothly, with the chronograph functioning and resetting correctly. The minute repetition operates and produces a clear sound. The calendar advances correctly and appears to adjust for different month lengths. The dial has been refinished, and the calendar indications have been reprinted. There is some rubbing on the case, but the decorative scheme remains clear. There are no gold marks on the case.
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Henry-Daniel Capt was an independent Swiss watchmaker who specialised in watches with additional complications such as musical watches and automatons. Capt was one of the first in Geneva to use barrels and crowns in his automatons. He was born in Chenit, in the Vallée de Joux, in April 1773, as the son of Jaques Samuel Capt and Susanne Piguet. His brother was Charles Samuel Capt. On January 1st, 1796, he married Henriette Piguet. In the Vallée de Joux, Capt trained as an établisseur. Around 1789, Henry settled in Geneva and worked for renowned companies such as Jaquet-Droz, Godet, Leschot, and his brother-in-law, Daniel Isaac Piguet. In 1802, he entered into a partnership with Daniel Isaac Piguet, which lasted until 1811. When this partnership ended, Capt kept producing his pieces before entering another partnership with Aubert et Fils in 1830 as Aubert & Capt, located in Place Bel-Air, Geneva. The firm was taken over by his son, Henry Capt, in 1844. He opened a shop on the Rue du Rhône in 1855, which quickly gained an excellent reputation. During the 1870s, the Henry Capt Company advertised that they were the only Geneva watch manufacturer to have a branch retail house in London. He also established branches in Paris, Nice, and New York. The house of Henry Capt flourished for many decades. Henry Daniel Capt died in 1841.