Swiss 18K gold keyless watch with tourbillon Circa 1880

Gold complicated full hunter 
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An unusual Swiss 18 carat gold hunting cased keyless pocket watch made by H. Grandjean & Cie in Le Locle, circa 1880. With a one minute tourbillon, triple calendar and moon phases. A massive, fully engraved case with bright cut floral and foliage decoration, and a cartouche with the monogram SB on the back. White enamel dial with Roman hour numerals, outer minute divisions, subsidiary dials for the months, the days of the week, the date and auxiliary seconds with concentric phases of the moon, Fleur de Lys hands.
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Pellaton type calibrer, Rhodium plated movement, curved center bridge, going barrel, gold train of wheels, gold screwed chaton (setting) on the central wheel, three arm equidistant Pellaton carriage with Earnshaw type spring detent escapement, cut bimetallic compensated balance with gold poising screws, blued steel hairspring with Philips terminal curve and amplitude control device, gold screwed chaton end stone, polished steel index regulator with gold scale plate. Dial, case and movement are signed.
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Diameter: 56 mm
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Signed: H. Grandjean & Cie  Le Locle
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Henri Grandjean, Swiss chronometer maker, active in Le Locle and London. From 1824 until 1830, he was assigned the task of organising the South American branches of his father’s company; in 1830, his brother Henri-Gustave Grandjean emigrated to Peru and was from then on in charge of these businesses. Henri Grandjean trained as a watchmaker in his hometown. Around 1830, his factory, Henri Grandjean & Cie., began to build marine chronometers that were modelled on the English chronometers. His business partner was, at the time, Edouard Thévenaz. Together with Louis-Jean Richard and Ulysse Nardin, he was the originator of the Swiss marine chronometer production.
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Along with Constant Girard (1825- 1903; later Girard-Perregaux), Henry Grandjean was also one of the first to enter the South American Market. In 1831, Grandjean married Elise Montandon, the daughter of Isaac-Pierre Montandon. He was granted permission to open watchmaking schools and founded the observatory at Neuchâtel. Later, Grandjean went into politics and became representative and prefect of the city of Le Locle. In La Chaux de Fonds, he worked for the establishment of the Quartier-Neuf, which was finally built in 1855; his intention was to eliminate real estate speculation and to create low priced housing for working class families.
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In 1851, at the first Universal Exposition in London, Grandjean received a First-Class medal. His list of medals continues until 1868, the year in which the company won an award for its marine chronometers. In the meantime, they also received at least eight different awards, not including those from the Observatory of Neuchâtel. In 1873, the company received in Vienne, a Diploma of Honour (Gold Medal) and the Merit Medal.
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Henry Grandjean died in 1879, but it appears that the company continued for the next twenty years until 1899, the year in which Rossel & Fils registered their name as successors, who were also most likely running the company during these 20 years. On January 9, 1908, Rossel & Fils transferred the title to Charles-Ferdinand Perret. A street in Le Locle was named after him ‘’the rue Henri Grandjean’’. The watch with tourbillon carriage was the ultimate in precision timekeeping. During the 1920s and 1930s, James Casar Pellaton was the most esteemed maker of tourbillon carriages, which he supplied to the most prestigious companies, including Patek Philippe, Vacheron Constantin, Girard-Perregaux, and Ulysse Nardin.
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James Casar Pellaton
One of the most esteemed makers of tourbillons in the 20th century. He learned his craft from his father, also an esteemed tourbillon maker. In terms of design, he followed his father’s footsteps, using the same type of ebauches. He became director of the Le Locle Technicum, which in 1943 awarded him the degree of Doctor Honoris Causa.