Swiss chronometre first Class with nine complications Circa 1900

Important and unique Observatory Chronometer 1^re Classe
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An important and unique numbered Chronometre Tourbillon, Observatory Chronometer 1^re Classe with nine complications, was made by Henri Methey Peytieu in le Locle, Switzerland, between 1870 and 1930.
The open faced plain tourbillon cage of this watch crafted from 18 Carat gold is a typical example of Ernest Guinand’s first type and its characteristic “A” shape. The exceptionally complicated dial has black Roman numerals for the hours and four subsidiary dials: at three o’clock for the seconds, moon phase and age, at six o’clock for months and quarters, at nine o’clock for a power reserve indicator and year counter and at twelve o’clock for the days of the week and a second time zone and has  Breguet steel hands.

The movement has factory glazing, an outstanding chronometer escapement with tourbillon type Guinand 1, a golden escapement wheel, Wolf’s tooth winding wheels, a numbered central bridge and nine complications: a perpetual calendar taking into account leap years and retrograde date, a year counter 01-99, moon phase, moon age, power reserve indicator and second time zone. The watch comes in an original mahogany case with mother of pearl inlay.
Dial, dust cover and movement are signed.
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Diameter: 60 mm
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Weight: 374 g
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Signed: Mathey Peytieu
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Mother of pearl
Mother of pearl is a shiny blend of minerals, which is found on the inside of shells. In the watch sector, it is sometimes used as a dial surface.
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This watch is also mentioned in “Das Tourbillon” by Reinhard Meis, page 350. The watch is a one off. Originally made as an observatory chronometer with a tourbillon, it was tested in 1871 at the Neuchâtel observatory. Probably around 1930, this movement was equipped with the nine complications and got the extremely high quality gold case, which bears a great resemblance to the Patek Philippe case of the famous Henry Graves, which was made around the same time (see Reinhard Meis “Das Tourbillon”, p. 43, “Guinand 1”). The fact that the dust cover is signed by Henri Mathey Peytieu shows that this is a modernization of the original tourbillon and not a conversion!
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Henri Mathey-Peytieu
Although little is known about Henri Mathey-Peytieu, he doubtlessly was a highly skilled watchmaker of enormous ingenuity, impressively demonstrated by the present watch and its, at the time, highly unusual retrograde date, the two digit year indication and power reserve, all combined with a perpetual calendar with moon phase, a second time zone and a chronometer escapement with one minute tourbillon with Guinand type 1 carriage, submitted to the Neuchâtel Observatory contest in 1871.
According to Kathleen H. Pritchard’s Swiss Timepiece Makers 1775-1975, the watchmaking firm Mathey-Peytieu of Le Locle belonged to Henri Théophile Mathey-Henry (1817-1893) who had added his wife’s maiden name Peytieu to his maker’s name.