French gold half-hunting cased repeating pocket watch Circa 1870

Gold minute repeating lever with centre seconds
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A fine and rare French, 18K gold minute repeating, two-train, half-hunting cased keyless pocket watch with independent dead centre seconds, circa 1870. Made by Le Roy & Fils, To the Queen, 211 Regent Street, London, 13 & 15 Palais Royal, Paris, the movement Swiss. A polished case with engine-turned borders and band, the front cover with radial blue enamel Roman numerals and inner minute track around the glazed aperture, the back cover with royal blue enamel champlevé monogram, slide for locking the centre seconds at 10 o’clock.
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Hinged gold cuvette. White enamel dial with radial Roman numerals, outer minute track. Blued steel spade hands. A frosted gilt movement, two-train with tandem winding, 40 jewels, counterpoised straight-line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance with gold temperature and meantime adjustment screws, blued steel Breguet balance spring, index regulator, repeating on gongs activated by a slide in the band. Cuvette signed.
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Diameter 52 mm
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Signed: Le Roy & Fils  Paris
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The London branch of the Paris firm of Le Roy & Fils (which derived from the business established by Basile Charles Le Roy, c. 1785) was set up at the latest by 1854 in 296 Regent Street. By 1866 they had also acquired 211 Regent Street, and by 1875 occupied both 211 & 213. By 1885 they had moved to 57 Bond Street, in which elegant thoroughfare they remained until 1952.