Swiss double dialled calendar watch with moon phases Circa 1890

Pink gold hunting cased keyless lever watch by Girard-Perregaux
–
A fine and rare Swiss pink gold hunting cased double dialled keyless lever watch with calendar and moon phases, circa 1890. The timepiece has a nickel movement with a lever escapement, a bimetallic compensation balance, and a barrel bridge. The backplate is signed by Girard-Perregaux and stamped with Alfred Courvoisier Jonais. The calendar mechanism is mounted on a separate hinged plate within the case and operates through motion work driven by the centre wheel. The calendar advances using a cam with a protruding lever that activates another lever through an aperture. This lever is connected to the intricately engraved backplate of the calendar dial, which is signed and numbered Girard-Perregaux Chaux-de-Fonds no. 79923.
–
The watch features double dials: the front dial is white enamel with Roman numerals, an outer Arabic minute ring, a sunken subsidiary seconds dial, and blued steel spade hands, signed Girard-Peregaux, Chaux-de-Fonds. The back dial is also white enamel, featuring an outer date ring with a central indicator hand, two subsidiary dials for the day and month in Spanish, an aperture for moon phases, and is signed Girard-Perregaux. The case is made of 18 carat pink gold with engine turned covers and a vacant cartouche. Both covers are signed and numbered Girard-Perregaux 79923, and the case maker’s mark, JF N, is located beneath a crown.
–
Diameter: 56.5 mm
–
Signed: Girard-Perregaux, Chaux-De-Fonds
–
The movement operates for short periods. The hands are adjusting smoothly. The calendar changes at midnight, and all calendar adjusters were functional. The date adjuster advances the months on the 1st of each new month, but it is not an annual calendar and does not account for varying month lengths. The time dial is in generally good condition. The calendar dial has a small hairline crack between the moon phases dial and the day dial, with some residue on the surface of the day dial and the main dial outside of it. The case shows some rubbing on the engine turning of the front cover, and the cartouche on the front has been polished. There is also some rubbing on the engine turning at the edge of the case back.
–
Girard-Perregaux SA is a luxury Swiss watch manufacturer with its origins dating back to 1791. In 2022, the management of Girard-Perregaux completed a management buyout from the French luxury group Kering. Headquartered in La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, the company opened the Girard-Perregaux Museum near its headquarters in Villa Marguerite in 1999. It is best known for the historic tourbillon with three gold bridges, which was awarded a gold medal at the 1889 International Exposition in Paris soon after the launch of the watch. Other notable models from the company include the collection 1966, Vintage 1945 and models such as the Tri-Axial tourbillon and Laureato, an icon inspired by the 70s.