Swiss gold precision watch with eight complications Circa 1887

Gold minute repeating hunter
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An extremely rare Swiss antimagnetic precision pocket watch with eight complications, circa 1887. Including a perpetual calendar and minute repeater. An 18K gold á-goutte case, special and extremely rare case form, hunting case watch cut hunter, engine-turned, case and movement with matching numbers, back with glazed movement, extremely rare Geneva top calibre, possibly Patek Philippe raw movement, anti-magnetic gold lever, fine adjusting device, the highly complicated calibre with perpetual calendar, moon phase and moon age, minute repeater and chronograph, perfectly preserved enamel dial, pink gold hands, in very good condition, intact, cleaning/service recommended, original box, sold by Benedict Brothers in New York! The Geneva Non-Magnetic Watch Co. of America.
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Diameter: 58,5 mm
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Weight: 176 g
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Signed: Charles-Auguste Paillard  Geneva
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In the years 1885-1886, Charles-Auguste Paillard (1840-1895) invented the new non-magnetic alloy (palladium with copper) to produce non-magnetic and non-corrosive hairsprings and attracted the attention of the young Dresden businessman Charles W. Ward. He and his colleagues were impressed by the invention and decided to set up a company to manufacture watches on the basis of Paillard’s patents registered in Great Britain (No. 6367 of 11 May 1886 for non-magnetique hairsprings). Ward entered into preliminary agreements with Paillard, a former supervisor of Patek Philippe & Co., and Louis Bornand, a former manager of Henry Capt & Co. in Geneva to obtain rights on the Paillard patents. On 23 February 1886, the first order was placed for 34 watches, including twelve pocket watches with complications.

On 16 March 1886, a new agreement was signed and the company’s name changed to “Geneva Non Magnetic Watch Co. Paillard and Bornand were responsible for the production in New York. Paillard’s agency was located at Rue Kleberg 2 in Geneva and the Bornand factory at Grand Quai 64 in Geneva (former Tiffany factory, as Jeweller Circular reported in 1889). The office of Non-Magnetic Watch Co. was located at Quai du Mont Blanc 5. In 1886 the company registered the patent rights for the manufacturing of palladium spirals in France, England, Germany and the United States because Dufane-Lutz had also started manufacturing palladium spirals in Geneva. In 1887 a new contract was signed with J.J. Badollet in Geneva and Aeby & Co. in Biel, watchmakers for the manufacturing of raw movements. In the same year, it was agreed with Patek Philippe & Co. that the raw parts would be manufactured in the Patek Philippe factory and finished by Bornand. These were probably the highest qualities of Non Magnetic Watch Co.!