Swiss made Russian imperial presentation watch Circa 1895

Exceptional diamond set hunting cased pocket watch with seven complications
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An extremely fine and exceptional large 18 Carat gold enamel and rose cut diamond set hunting cased keyless pocket watch with perpetual calendar, phases and age of the moon, special patented split seconds chronograph and antimagnetic escapement. Made for Russian Imperial presentation by Louis Audemars in Brassus and Genève, Switzerland circa 1895. Four body, bassine et filets and polished case with the front cover decorated with the Russian Imperial arms in black, blue and red champlevé enamel and set with rose cut diamonds, gold levers for calendar setting protruding from under the bezel and hinged gold cuvette with engine-turned border.
White enamel dial with radial Roman numerals, outer minute track, outermost seconds divided into fifths, five minute/seconds red Arabic numerals, four subsidiary sunk dials for days of the week, date, months of the four year leap cycle and subsidiary seconds concentric with phases of the moon aperture and lunar calendar and blued steel spade hands. ‘Superior adjustment’ and rhodium-plated movement with Geneva striping decoration, 25 jewels, antimagnetic straight line calibrated lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance with platinum temperature adjustment screws, special alloy Breguet balance spring with over coil, rack and pinion micrometre regulator, chronograph and split activated by buttons in the band.
Dial, case, cuvette and movement signed.
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Diameter: 58 mm
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Signed: L. Audemars, Brassus & Genèva
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The present watch is one of the finest and most complicated made for presentation by the Czar. It is extremely highly finished and very complicated for a presentation watch and must therefore have been intended for a very important recipient. The watch has a balance and spring which were made to be antimagnetic, gold setting levers, and a patented split-seconds chronograph mechanism. It is also, unusually, fully signed by Louis Audemars. The special split-seconds chronograph system was patented by Charles H. Audemars (US patent 253338 of February 7, 1882, filed on June 23, 1891). The system, which is difficult to produce, is very reliable and features a special clutch coupling wheel, assuring faster and more reliable starting.