Swiss gold minute repeating Carillon pocket watch Circa 1900

Gold hunting cased minute repeater by Perret & Berthoud
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An important very fine minute repeating hunting cased pocket watch with Westminster carillon and original box, circa 1900.
Polished 18-carat rose gold case with glazed movement. Signed white enamel dial with radial Arabic numerals, outer minutes track, subsidiary dial for the seconds, and spade hands. Bridge movement, four hammers / four gongs, Pat. 11948, gold screw compensation balance.
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Diameter: 56 mm
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Weight: 138 g
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Signed: Perret & Berthoud, Locle
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Westminster Carillon Watches with a carillon minute repeating mechanism are an extremely rare find; there are only very few pieces known today that have Westminster chimes or four hammers. The design was patented as patent no. 11948 on March 20, 1896, by Constant Piguet. The two other makers who were known to have specialized in this type of watch were Eduard Jean Richard and Victorin Piguet and to the best of our knowledge only three tunes were played by the four hammer carillons – Westminster chimes, the Swiss National anthem and God Save the King. Ulysse Perret founded the company Universal Watch in Le Locle in 1894 together with his friend Numa-Emile Descombes; unfortunately, Descombes died suddenly in 1897 at the age of 34 and Perret was employed Louis Edouard Berthoud as a specialist for complicated watches. They used Perret & Berthoud to sign their watches but returned to the name Universal Watch eventually after moving back to Geneva. This watch was made at that time and is fitted with the splendidly intricate carillon repeater; movement and dial are superb and in perfect condition, the case shows tiny traces of wear.