Rare Swiss 18K gold split seconds chronograph Circa 1900

Gold jumping seconds chronograph
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A rare, extremely fine and heavy Swiss 18 carat gold hunting cased split seconds chronograph pocket watch with jumping seconds, circa 1900. Glazed bridge movement, tandem winding with mirror polished catches on top, a piston tooth lever escapement and gold screw compensation balance. White enamel dial with Roman hours, outer minute divisions, an outermost fifth of a second track with Arabic five minute/second numerals and moon hands. The case is engine turned. Dial and movement signed, case numbered,
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Diameter: 57 mm
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Weight: 179 g
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Signed: Huguenin & Grezet Locle
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Seconde foudroyante dates from at least the 1870s and was developed for the precise timing of sporting events, especially horse racing. ‘Foudre’ is French for ‘lightning’, which is the preferred name in English, along with jumping seconds. Seconde foudroyante is a hand which completes one full revolution per second. Most watches feature a seconds hand which rotates for one minute. A foudroyante hand, in contrast, has a period of one second. Watches equipped with such a hand typically also feature a conventional seconds hand. The foudroyante hand can be central or in a subdial and can be used for timekeeping or as part of a chronograph. On a chronograph, a hand that makes one rotation every second, pauses four, five or even eight times to indicate quarters, fifths or eighths of a second.