Swiss gold quarter repeater with Grande Sonnerie Circa 1900

Gold open faced pocket watch by Retouret
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A fine Swiss gentleman’s Geneva minute repeating pocket watch with quarter hour strike Grande Sonnerie, circa 1900.
Engine-turned and florally engraved 18-carat gold, à goutte case with engraved cartouche, reeded band, slide for repeating mechanism, and a signed gold dome. Signed white enamel dial with radial Roman numerals, outer minutes track with Arabic five minutes numerals, subsidiary dial for the seconds, and Fleurs de Lys hands. Bridge movement, two hammers / two gongs, two barrels, screw compensation balance.
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Diameter: 50 mm
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Weight: 116 g
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Signed: Retouret, Genève, Swiss
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There is very little known about watchmaker Retouret at Grand Quai 18 in Geneva. Sporadically watches with his signature appear at auctions; as with this watch, they often have unusual movement bridges but are always of excellent quality.
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Retouret, Swiss watch manufacturer
The Retouret company was based in Geneva at Grand Quai 18, the watches were signed “Retouret, Fabricant à Paris et Genève”, so there was also a settlement in Paris. In 1878 diamonds were stolen from Retouret, in 1879 Amsterdam, living under a false name, J. de Perceval was arrested.
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Hardly anything is known about the Geneva company Retouret. Occasionally, watches signed by him can be found at auctions, which are always a bit idiosyncratic in the design of the movement bridges – as here – but always of good quality.
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Investigations have so far turned up only one person. Possibly, the owner was Pierre Hippolyte Retouret (1828-1892) married to Clémence Honorine Courmont (1838-1922) . Pierre Hippolyte was born in Limoges but later settled in Paris, in the archives he is also recorded in Geneva. Daughter Virginie Jeanne Marie Retouret died in Geneva on March 14, 1871 , aged 11 months. Pierre Hippolyte’s brother Benoit Félix Retouret (1832-1868) was certainly a watchmaker but worked in Limoges.