Swiss double dial minute repeating lever watch Circa 1900

Gold minute repeating calendar watch by J. Ullmann & Cie.
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A Swiss gold half-hunting cased double dial minute repeating keyless lever watch with moon phases and triple calendar calibrated in Chinese, circa 1900. The watch features a 3/4-plate movement with a lever escapement and a bimetallic compensation balance. The case is made of 14k gold with polished covers, a milled band, and a front with a glazed aperture surrounded by blue enamel Roman numerals and an inner minute ring. It also has a lever for hand-setting beneath the front bezel, correctors for day, date, month, and moon phases, and a regulation arm to the back bezel. The case is marked with Swiss hallmarks for 14k gold and numbered 40148, and the inside back cover features the Ullmann trade mark figure of Britannia standing with a shield and lion.
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It includes two dials: the first dial is white enamel with Roman numerals, an outer minute ring, sunken subsidiary seconds, and filigree hands, and is signed by J. Ullmann & Co., Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tientsin. The second dial is also white enamel and has two subsidiary dials for day and month, an aperture for moon phases, and an outermost date ring with blued steel hands.
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Diameter: 55 mm
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Signed: J. Ullmann & Cie., Hong Kong, Shanghai, Tientsin
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The movement is running, and the repetitive operations of the hands are set correctly. The correctors for adjusting the day, date, month, and moon phases are all operational. The front time dial is calibrated for a chronograph minute track to its edge, although the watch itself is not a chronograph. There is a small scratch between 12 and 1 o’clock, and the calendar dial has a hairline crack at the top right-hand edge, with adhesive residue around the moon disc indicating repair. The case is generally in good condition, with some signs of polishing and rubbed marks on the pendant. The front cover lacks half-hunter glass.
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Ullmann & Cie. is listed by K. Pritchard in the book “Swiss Timepiece Makers 1775–1975” on page U-4. Pritchard mentions that the Britannia trademark, found on the inside back cover of the present watch, was registered by Ullmann in 1896. Apart from their operations in Asia, the company also had representation in La Chaux de Fonds, Fleurier, Paris, and Vladivostok. According to Chapuis, Ullmann registered their Chinese brand in 1893.