Swiss gold repeater with moon phases and chronograph Circa 1900

Gold full hunter chronograph and minute repeating lever watch
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A Swiss 18 carat yellow gold chronograph and minute repeating hunting cased pocket watch with triple calendar and moon phases made by Germinal Factory in La Chaux-de-Fonds in the early 20th century. It features a hand wound mechanical movement with a spiral balance, a lever escapement, and an advance/delay setting rack. The striking mechanism uses a two hammer gong chime for the minute repeater. Two push buttons on the pendant activate the chronograph and the minute repeater chime. Correctors on the bezel adjust the date. The white enamel dial shows Roman numerals for the hours, a minute track, a central chronograph hand, a small seconds hand with an aperture for the moon phases, three subsidiary dials for the weekday, month, and date, and an external graduation for 1/5th of a second. The round 18 carat yellow gold case is smooth, with a hinged hunter case back. The signed and numbered cuvette bears various technical indications.
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Diameter: 57 mm
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Weight: 137.3 g
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Signed: Germinal Factory
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The Germinal brand is Swiss, deeply rooted in the horological traditions of the Jura Mountains. The company traces back to Picard Fils, established around 1848 in Les Verrières. By 1895, the Picard family had moved operations to La Chaux-de-Fonds, the historic heart of Swiss watchmaking.
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Around 1915, the firm officially adopted the name Fabrique Germinal, inspired by the seventh month of the French Republican Calendar, symbolising “germination” and new beginnings. The manufacturer earned a prestigious reputation for technical innovations, especially in crafting extra slender (extra plat) movements and high end complications. By 1913, the factory claimed to be among the world’s largest producers of repeater watches, cementing its place as a leader in complex Swiss horology.