Swiss gold trip minute repeating lever watch Circa 1902

Two train keyless minute repeater by Patek Philippe
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A fine and rare Swiss 18 carat yellow gold open faced two train minute repeating keyless lever pocket watch, circa 1902. This watch has a nickel finished, jewelled two train lever movement with bidirectional winding and a bimetallic compensation balance, repeating the minutes with two hammers on a gong, the trip repeating activated through the crown. It features a white enamel dial with black Arabic hours, an outer minute track with red Arabic five minute numerals, a sunken subsidiary dial for constant seconds and blued steel spade hands. The polished case has an engraved coat of arms on the back and a hinged cuvette. The case, dial and movement are all signed. It comes with a Patek Philippe Extract from the Archives confirming the date of sale on 30th January 1904.
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Diameter: 46.5 mm
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Signed: Patek Philippe & Cie Genéve
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The movement is functioning properly, running smoothly and consistently in phase. The case is in fair condition and visually appealing, though some wear is noticeable to the naked eye. The dial is in fair condition, featuring a hairline scratch extending from 11 o’clock towards the center and another from 3 o’clock towards the subsidiary dial. Additionally, fine surface pits and scratches are visible upon close inspection.
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The trip train mechanism, also known as répétition à déclenchement à repoussoir or tandem, was first seen in a Patek Philippe pocket watch around 1884. It was patented in 1890 (Swiss Patent No. CH18710).
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Patek Philippe specialized in the trip train repeater, making it the only manufacturer to feature this complicated mechanism in its catalogues. These types of movements were produced from 1899 to 1912, and research indicates that only about 55 trip train minute repeaters have been identified in the market so far. Most examples have been sold to the American market and often only display the retailer’s name on the dial. The current piece features the Patek Philippe signature on the dial and the cuvette is engraved Made for Andrew Morden, Columbus, Ohio, confirming that this piece was also made for the American market.