Swiss gold double faced complicated pocket watch Circa 1860

Gold gentlemen’s pocket watch
–
A Swiss 18 carat rose gold hunting cased double faced keyless winding pocket watch made by Maison B. Haas Jeune in Geneva and Paris, circa 1860. This watch has a patented winding mechanism by closing the cover and seven horological complications, including a minute repeater on two steel gongs activated by a slide in the band at 6 o’clock.
–
The white enamel dial on the face features black Roman hours, an outer minute track, outermost red Arabic five minute numerals, subsidiary seconds at 9 o’clock, hours and minutes of a second meridian, known as petit tour d’heure at 3 and gold spade hands. The dial on the reverse is also white enamelled and features a perpetual calendar with an outer chapter ring for indication of the date by a central hand, the days of the week in French at 9 o’clock, the months of the year in French at 3 and an aperture for the ages and phases of the moon at 12.
–
It has a round shaped full hunter case with a time setting push bolt at 12 o’clock. The nickel plated movement with an equilibrated straight line lever escapement, going barrel, cut compensated balance and blued steel hairspring with a terminal curve.
–
The inside case is engraved Montre perpetuelle se remontant en regardant l’heure Nouveau système Breveté Chronomètre. The dial, case and movement are signed. It will be accompanied by copies of the invention patents.
–
Diameter: 59 mm
–
Signed: Maison B. Haas Jeune Genève – Paris
–
The special winding mechanism in the present watch is based on French patent No. 77 124, delivered on July 13th, 1867, to Benjamin Haas Jeune in Paris, for a “Système de remontoir applicable à tous genres d’échappements – Montre savonnette se remontant en regardant l’heure”, the later so-called “Remontoir perpetuel à décrochement”, and, English patent No. 3 945, delivered on December 2nd, 1873 for a keyless winding mechanism.
–
The perpetual calendar mechanism is further based on English patent No. 2 870, delivered on September 30th, 1872, to Benjamin Haas Jeune, Paris.
–
Among the twenty or so known pieces with “remontoir perpetuel à décrochement”, the present one is the most complicated from this series.