Swiss/English 18 carat gold half hunting cased repeating lever Circa 1907

Gold grande sonnerie repeater with self strike attributed to L.E. Piguet
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An impressive, high quality Swiss/English 18 carat gold half hunting cased grande sonnerie quarter repeating pocket watch with quarter hour/hour self strike, circa 1907. Bridge movement, tandem winding with mirror polished catches on top, two hammers, two gongs, a wolf’s tooth lever escapement and gold screw compensation balance. The gold cuvette with a dedication engraving: Sydney from Imogen 24th Feb. 1916. White enamel dial with Roman hours, an outer minute track, sunk subsidiary seconds at 6 o’clock and blued spade & whip hands. The front of the case with inlaid black enamel Roman numerals, a coat of arms and the motto Je Tiendrai (I will pass) on the back, maker’s mark AS for Alfred Stram.
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Diameter: 53 mm
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Weight: 148 g
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Signed: No name
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Louis Elisée Piguet (1836-1924) from Le Brassus, Switzerland, created a series of exceptional timepieces, including a Grande Sonnerie with seven hammers. Some of the most complicated watches sold in Glashütte, Germany, used movements by Louis Elisée. Patek Philippe, Vacheron & Constantin and Breguet also occasionally used his movements. He refined chronographs and the keyless winding mechanism and invented the ‘Fixed Star’ repeater mechanism. When Ami LeCoultre was commissioned to build the so-called ‘Merveilleuse’, a watch with 24 functions and complications, he chose Louis Elisée Piguet as his partner. As one of the most talented and prolific watchmakers of the late 19th century, he was highly esteemed by his colleagues and was elected to numerous horological associations. His company, later renamed Frédéric Piguet SA, still exists today and continues the tradition of producing high quality and complicated watches.