Swiss complicated watch made for the Indian market Circa 1870

Gold lever with eight complications attributed to Louis Audemars
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A very fine Swiss 18 Carat gold open faced minute repeating keyless lever pocket watch with eight complications made for the Indian market, circa 1870. Retailed by Marcks & Co Ltd, Bombay & Poona. With a triple date calendar, moon phases, moon age, a Reaumur thermometer and centre seconds with an Audemars type rattrapante chronograph hand, the mechanism under the dial and without return to zero function. Accompanied by a fitted presentation box.
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Polished case, engine turned on the back, a single button in the crown for the stop and rejoin chronograph hand functions. Hinged gold cuvette. White enamel dial, radial Roman hours, Arabic five minute numerals, subsidiary dials for the date, days of the week and months, an aperture for the moon phases with the ages of the moon on the edge and the Reaumur thermometer scale below, gold pear hands, blued steel chronograph hands. A frosted gilt movement, 29 jewels, gold wheel train, wolf’s tooth winding, counterpoised straight-line lever escapement, cut bi metallic compensation balance with peripheral gold adjustment screws, blued steel Breguet balance spring, index regulator, repeating on gongs activated by a slide on the band.
Dial and cuvette signed by the retailer.
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Diameter: 54 mm
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Signed: No name
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This watch is undoubtedly a product of the Louis Audemars workshop. The type of centre seconds with a rattrapante chronograph mechanism fitted beneath the dial was developed by Audemars. The rattrapante hand is stopped by the first pressure on the push-piece and then rejoins the centre-second hand with the second pressure. A zero positioning of the hand is not possible. The small depression in the repeating slide, the dial and movement design, the exposed hand setting button and the use of the Reaumur thermometer are all classic Louis Audemars features.
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Marcks & Co Ltd was the most prestigious store of luxury goods in India. The company specialized in Grande Complication watches, watches with a perpetual calendar, independent seconds with diablotine, chronographs, repeaters, clock watches and tourbillons.