Swiss gold and light blue translucent enamel watch Circa 1910

Gold enamelled open faced lever watch by Tavannes Watch Co.
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A decorative Swiss 18 carat gold and enamel gentlemen’s pocket watch, circa 1910. The nickel plated bridge movement with Geneva Striping decoration, a lever escapement and monometallic screw balance. Both the back lid of the case and front bezel are decorated with translucent light blue enamel over a florally engraved and engine turned ground within a narrow opaque white enamelled border, punched with maker’s mark TWCo and a gold cuvette. The frosted gilt dial with a sunk engine turned center, radial Roman hour numerals, an outer minute track, auxiliary seconds at 6 o’clock and blued Breguet hands. The dial is signed and case numbered.
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Diameter: 45 mm
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Weight: 60 g
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Signed: Tavannes Watch Co.
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Tavannes Watch Co. was founded in 1891 by watchmaker Henri-Frédéric Sandoz from Le Locle and was named after a town. Sandoz obtained several Swiss patents to improve pocket watches.

Tavannes/Cyma produced complicated watches using the most modern machines. Around 1905, they began developing pocket chronometers with spiral springs made from a nickel steel alloy by Charles Edouard Guillaume. In 1919, a workshop was set up to manufacture pocket and marine chronometers. They also used the marine chronometer developed by Paul Ditisheim with a central second and exchangeable escapement section. The company achieved many successes with its deck watches in the chronometer competitions of the Neuchâtel Observatory. Even before World War I they began developing wristwatches. 

In 1969, the companies Cyma, Tavannes Watch Co. and DOXA merged to form Synchron AG, to which the Auréole company has belonged since 1972, but Tavannes Watch Co. has been independent again since 2008 and mainly sells watches in the USA.