Swiss gold minute repeating carillon pocket watch Circa 1900

Gold repeating hunting cased pocket watch
–
A fine and very rare, keyless-winding hunting-cased Swiss pocket watch with minute repeater carillon movement, circa 1900.
Polished, round-shaped, 18K yellow gold à goutte hunting case. Gilded brass movement, straight-line lever escapement, compensated balance with gold and platinum poising screws and blued steel hairspring with terminal curve no. 2973, minute-repeater with carillon on three steel gongs by three hammers. Enamel dial with Roman radial hours, outer minutes track, subsidiary dial for the seconds at 6, and original pear hands.
–
Diameter: 53 mm
–
Unsigned
–
It’s difficult to say who is the author of this watch. It can be attributed to César Racine (1851-1931) in Le Locle (Neuchâtel Mountains). This company is famous for its simplified and patented Grande Sonnerie watches, which it produced with minute-repeater on two or three gongs, then known as carillon or chimes (1893, 1898-1899). The watch can also be attributed to Constant Piguet, from Le Sentier (Vallée de Joux) and Le Locle, a watchmaker who patented a repeater-watch with a four-hammer chime (1896). In the 1890s, the latter collaborated with Paul-David Nardin (1855-1920), of Ulysse Nardin, Le Locle, on experimental studies before to sold the company circa 1907 to his workshop manager, Charles-Emile Jeanneret-dit-Grosjean (1861-1953). The serial number of this watch may correspond to the production numbers of both of them.
The ebauche movement may have been produced by LeCoultre & Cie, Le Sentier (Vallée de Joux). Both gongs are signed under their feet “A. Piguet”, from the manufacturer’s name, potentially established in the Vallée de Joux.