Swiss gold minute repeating chronograph watch Circa 1890

Hunting cased repeating watch by Marc Plojoux
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A very fine and heavy, hunting cased, minute repeating pocket watch with chronograph, minute recorder and second time zones, circa 1890. Retailed by J. W. Benson, 62 & 64 Ludgate Hill, London, By Warrant to the Queen.
This watch has four horological complications: – Minute-repeater on two steel gongs (activated by the slide at 6 o’clock) – 1/5 second chronograph (activated by the oval push piece located on the case band at 12 o’clock) – Instantaneous 60 minute recorder (subsidiary dial at 12 o’clock) – Hours and minutes of a second-time zone, known as double tour d’heures (subsidiary dial at 9 o’clock, time setting by push pin on the left side of the pendant).
The case is made of 18-carat gold with a gold dome. The dial is enamel with an eccentric hour dial with Arabic numerals for London Time; eccentric hour dial with Roman numerals for Local Time, auxiliary seconds, 60 minute counter, and blued spade hands. And it has a gilded brass movement with going barrel, straight line equilibrated lever escapement, compensated balance with gold and platinum poising screws and blued steel hairspring with a terminal curve.
The movement is signed by the maker and the cuvette by the retailer.
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Diameter: 53 mm
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Weight: 146 g
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Signed: Plojoux Genève
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M. A. Plojoux was a Geneva watchmaker of excellent reputation who specialized in complicated watches and jewellery. His workshop was at 30, Rue du Rhône. Plojoux was honoured with two awards at the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1878; he also won a gold medal in 1880 and took part in the Geneva National Exhibition in 1896. The movement of this watch certainly lives up to the reputation of its brand and distinguishes itself for its outstanding quality.
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Benson comes from an English watchmaker family whose company has existed since 1749. James William was active at 62 & 64 Ludgate Hill, London from approx. 1857 to 1887. Benson referred to himself as the Prince of Wales watchmaker from 1865. At that time, the product range of this well-known company included pocket watches of all types and complications, pocket and marine chronometers, etc., with works by Victor Kullberg, Mercer, Hector | Golay, Marc Plojoux and Usher & Cole, large clocks and tower clocks.

An example of this is the clock in Portsmouth City Hall. Arthur H. and Alfred Benson later took over. Today Benson is part of the Asprey group.