Swiss gold complicated repeating chronograph watch Circa 1896

Gold full hunter repeating chronograph lever watch
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A Swiss 18 carat yellow gold hunting cased pocket watch with chronograph, minute repeater, perpetual calendar and moon phases, made by Braillard Fabricant in La Chaux-de-Fonds, circa 1896. Awarded the gold medal at the Swiss National Exhibition in Geneva in 1896. This watch has a hand wound mechanical movement with a compensated bimetallic balance, a lever escapement, an advance/delay adjustment rack, and a two hammer gong chime for the minute repeater. A push button in the middle of the case activates the chronograph. A slide releases the minute repeater striking mechanism.
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The white enamel dial shows stylised Roman numerals for the hours and Arabic numerals for the minutes. It has three auxiliary dials for the days of the week, months, and leap years, a date indication, a small seconds hand with a moon phase aperture, a central chronograph hand, a railway minute track, and an external 1/5th of a second scale. The round 18 carat yellow gold case has a smooth front and back with a hinged hunter case back and a cover bearing a monogram in relief. The gold cuvette is signed with the special mention Exposition Universelle Suisse Genève 1896 la plus haute récompense Braillard Fabricant Chaux-de-Fonds, and the mention Th. Beyer’s Sohn Zurich.
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Diameter: 57 mm
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Weight: 179.2 g
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Signed: Braillard Fabricant, La Chaux-de-Fonds
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Braillard, from Chauds-de-Fonds, exhibited at the Swiss National Exhibition in Geneva in 1896. The gold hunting cased pocket watch features a chronograph, minute repeater, perpetual calendar, and moon phases, earning a gold medal at the Swiss National Exhibition. The Braillard trademark on the case was registered in 1897. A year earlier, the same watch had won a gold medal at the 1895 exhibition in Geneva. These exhibitions, driven by local business associations, significantly contributed to the growth of Swiss watchmaking. The first was held in Zurich in 1883, followed by Geneva in 1896. Subsequent exhibitions occur every 25 years, with the latest in 2002, highlighting Switzerland’s economic vitality. This watch exemplifies Swiss watchmaking excellence and its status as a cultural exception, positioning Switzerland as a hub of Haute Horlogerie. Notably, it bears the inscription “Th. Beyer’s Sohn Zurich,” one of Zurich’s oldest still operating watch dealers.