Swiss important and rare lever chronometer watch Circa 1879

Gold hunting cased pocket watch by Alphonse Pavid
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An important and rare Swiss lever chronometer with Geneva Observatory rating certificate, grade A, obtained in 1879.
18 carat gold, polished, monogrammed and florally engraved “à goutte” case with dedication engraving on the back side, case maker’s punch mark “AF&Cie” and glazed movement. Signed enamel dial with radial Roman hours, auxiliary seconds and blued “Fleur de Lys” hands. Bridge movement, rhodium-plated, with “fausses côtes” decoration, wolfteeth winding wheels, gold screw chronometer balance and counterpoised lever. Original silklined mahogany box with mother-of-pearls shield.
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Diameter: 51 mm
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Weight: 125 g
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Signed: Alphonse Pavid, Genève
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Alphonse Pavid, Geneva,
Geneva maker of pocket chronometers and regleur Jean-Louis Alphonse Pavid was born on June 17, 1853 and christened on October 3 of the same year. Alphonse was the son of Louis Pavid and Emma Henriette Gaillard; Louis, who was at the time acitizen of Gressy and Grandson, worked as a watchmaker and jeweller in Yverdon, Faubourg de la Maison Ronge no. 14. Alphonse’s confirmation was celebrated on March 21, 1869 and he worked in the Geneva workshops of Albert Potter in the late 1870s and the early 1880s. From 1884 to about 1915 Alphonse Pavid received a number of test certificates for his chronometers; they were issued by the observatories in Geneva (1884, 1887 -1896, 190..), Neuchâtel (1908) and Kew-Teddington (JSH, several editions).
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During the chronometer test in 1891 Alphonse received an award for 6th place in the serial testing; the five best chronometers of each maker were judged (JHS, 1891). On April 12, 1893 Alphonse invented a regulation system with flexible balance spring studs and a bimetallic compensation balance spring in an unusual design (“steel-brass balance, System Pavid”). It looks like neither of these inventions was ever registered as a patent though (pocket chronometer no. 1958). In 1894 Alphonse Pavid and Genoese precision regleurs G.-Marie Rouge, Alexis Favre, J. Cordier, Charles-Auguste Paillard and Marius Fave introduced a reform of the chronometer testing process (Gautier, 1894). 1896 Alphonse Pavid exhibited his products at the national Swiss exhibition in Geneva and was awarded a prize with distinction in the serial tests for regleurs: 9th place out of 19, with distinction (JHS, 1896). The prize was awarded for the average mark for the three best chronometers.