Swiss pocket watch built on chronometer principles Circa 1889

Gold open faced pocket watch by Humbert-Ramuz & Co.
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An extremely fine, large Swiss gold pocket watch built on chronometer principles, probably destined for the Paris 1889 Universal Exposition.
18 carat gold engine turned “à goutte” case with engraved gold dome. White enamel dial, double sunk, with Roman hours, auxiliary seconds and gold “pear” hands. Rhodium plated movement with highly finished lever escapement, gold balance screws, jeweled up to the center wheel and balance and escape wheel ruby capped.
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Diameter: 56 mm
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Weight: 134 g
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Signed: Humbert-Ramuz & Co.
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HUMBERT-RAMUZ & Co.
Humbert-Ramuz & Co. was established in La Chaux-de-Fonds in 1842. It specialized in making ebauches for other companies exemplified, for instance, by a watch in La Chaux-de-Fonds Museum made for Auguste Vuilleis (Inv 1217). On rare occasions, when a watch was exceptional or made for an exposition, the company would market it under its name. The Science Museum in London, for instance, has aHumbert-Ramuz watch with an unusual winding system (Inv. 1920-541).
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This watch is unusual because of its extra large compensation balance with gold temperature-adjustment screws, which was used virtually only by chronometer makers. Also unusual is the gold train, the high quality red rubies used for jewels, and the exceptionally high finish of the escapement. This strongly suggests that the watch was among those for which the company won a gold medal in Paris in 1889, a fact proudly engraved on the cuvette.