Swiss 18K gold quarter repeating lever pocket watch Circa 1870

Gold engine turned full hunter
–
A rare Swiss 18 carat yellow gold hunting cased quarter repeating keyless demi chronomètre pocket watch made by Henry Capt in Geneva, circa 1870. A polished and engine turned case, the front cover with an engraved monogram in a cartouche. White enamel dial, radial Roman hour numerals, outer minute divisions and Arabic five minute numerals, subsidiary seconds and blued steel spade hands. Glazed rhodium plated movement, Geneva striping decoration, 31 jewels, wolf’s tooth winding, a gold wheel train, counterpoised straight line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, blued steel Breguet balance spring and an index regulator, repeating on gongs activated by a slide on the band. Dial, case and movement signed.
–
Diameter: 52 mm
–
Signed: Henry Capt  Genève
–
Henry Capt used the name demi chronomètre to indicate that the movement was sent to the Observatory for chronometric control, but that, for commercial reasons, it did not remain long enough to complete the entire course of testing. It is thought that only two Genevan firms employed the denomination ‘demi chronomètre’: Henry Capt and Vacheron & Constantin.