Swiss 18 carat gold one minute tourbillon watch Circa 1870

Gold full hunter with spring detent escapement
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A rare and fine Swiss 18 carat gold hunting cased pocket chronometer with one minute tourbillon made by Henchoz Frères in Le Locle, circa 1870. The lavishly floral and foliate engraved case punched with maker’s mark PF. Decorative silver dial with applied gold floral decoration, Roman hour numerals, outer dot minute divisions, engine turned auxiliary seconds at 6 o’clock and blued spade hands. Glazed, rhodium plated bridge movement with Geneva striping decoration, polished screws, a chatoned center wheel, spring detent escapement, gold screw compensation balance, freesprung blued balance spring and finely polished bevelled steel tourbillon cage.
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Diameter: 54 mm
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Weight: 157 g
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Signed: Henchoz Frères Le Locle
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Henchoz Frères was a Swiss watchmaking company founded in 1880/1881 in Le Locle by brothers Auguste and Fritz Henchoz. In literature, they were also referred to by their wives’ surnames: Fritz Henchoz-Huguenin and Auguste Henchoz-Arnold. The company specialized in multi register chronographs, minute repeaters, split second stopwatches and high precision tourbillons.
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In 1881, they won third prize at the National Watch Exhibition in La Chaux-de-Fonds. In 1884, a Class C chronometer won a second prize worth 80 Swiss francs, behind Ulysse Nardin and ahead of Dubois & Leroy, and they showcased grand complication pocket watches and grande sonnerie chronographs at the 1896 National Swiss Fair in Geneva. In 1914, they further won a gold medal at the Bern Watch Exhibition.
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In collaboration with masters like Albert Pellaton, movements were largely built from scratch rather than relying on external ebauches. They marketed select lines under brand names including Ascot and The Winner, while also supplying high end movements to retailers like S. Smith & Son. Timepieces manufactured by Henchoz Frères were also imported by A. Wittnauer in New York, U.S.A.
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In 1913, the brand name Suburban Watch was registered. 
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Run by the founders’ sons, Auguste-Alfred and Marcel-Emile, the headquarters, now known as Henchoz & Fils, were relocated to Geneva in the early 1920s.
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In 1973, Suburban was listed as a brand by both Henchoz & Fils and Wittnauer & Cie.