Swiss gold pendant and form watch set with diamonds Circa 1880

Museum quality gold and enamel cross watch
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A museum quality gold and enamel cross watch set with diamonds, made by Felipe Hecht in Genève, Switzerland, circa 1880. The full hunter case is crafted from gold and enamel, the front of the cross is set with pearls and features a hinged back. Time setting and winding are accomplished via two crowns on the sides of the cross.
The white enamel dial, concealed behind the oval plaque at the center of the cross, has Roman hour numerals and blued steel hands. The numbered movement features a straight line lever escapement, a temperature compensated balance wheel and 18 rubies.
The cuvette and movement are signed.
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Long: 81 mm
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Signed: Filipe Hecht, Genève
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Only five of these watches are known, all with a similar case design but different motifs on the enamel plaque. All the other watches are unsigned, two of them were in the Sandberg collection, another example is in the Girard Perregaux museum.
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Hecht
Filipe Hecht was the son of the famous Jean-François Bautte. His son Juan Hecht handed the company over to Constant Girard, founder of the Girard Perregaux manufactory, in 1906.