Swiss gold unique unusual ‘Mysterieuse’ Circa 1888

Pocket watch with enamel decoration
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A unique and extremely rare gold ‘Mysterieuse’ watch with enamel decoration in original box, made by Armand Schwob & Frères in la Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland, circa 1888. The skeletonized case of this watch was crafted from gold and is marked Jose Pietraniera. The dial has an outer minutes track with 5 minute Arabic numerals, Arabic hour numerals and hands driven by rotating discs. The crescent shaped movement is located directly under the crown in the concealed area.
The case and box are signed.
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Diameter: 54 mm
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Weight: 96 g
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Signed: Mysterieuse
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Armand Schwob & Frères
The manufacturer Armand Schwob & Frères in La Chaux-de-Fonds brought this curious pocket watch onto the market around 1888 and had it patented under the name Mysterieuse. Almost all examples had silver cases. Only a few were made in gold for special customers.

The item presented here is probably the only example with an enamel decoration, in this case, the buyer’s name, Jose Pietranera Ravina, who was a very successful businessman in Argentina.
As the company Armand Schwob & Frères went bankrupt in 1892, these watches were only produced for a period of three years and are therefore very rare