Very rare Swiss 18 carat yellow gold lever purse watch Circa 1920

Gold purse watch
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A fine and very rare Swiss 18 carat yellow gold purse watch made by Tavannes Watch Co., circa 1920. Retailed by Dunhill. The rectangular polished case with two panels that flip open by pressing the spring loaded sides to display the movement and the dial, which can be tilted and held by the panels, making it a desk clock, and a further ring suspension loop. Concealed, shuttered, matt silver dial with applied yellow gold Arabic hour numerals, an outer minute track and gold Breguet hands. Rhodium plated movement marked Chronomètre, with 15 jewels, a straight line lever escapement, cut and compensated bimetallic balance with three adjustments, flat balance spring and an index regulator. Dial, case and movement signed by the watchmaker, the dial additionally signed by the retailer.
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Dimensions: 45 x 32 mm
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Signed: Dunhill Chronomètre Tavannes Importé de Suisse
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18 Carat gold purse watches are rare. This is a particularly desirable example. The dial is slightly oxidized.
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Tavannes Watch Co. was founded in 1891 by watchmaker Henri-Frédéric Sandoz from Le Locle and was named after a town. Sandoz obtained several Swiss patents to improve pocket watches.

Tavannes in collaboration with Cyma produced complicated watches using the most modern machines. Around 1905, they began developing pocket chronometers with spiral springs made from a nickel steel alloy by Charles Edouard Guillaume. In 1919, a workshop was set up to manufacture pocket and marine chronometers. They also used the marine chronometer developed by Paul Ditisheim with a central second and exchangeable escapement section. The company achieved many successes with its deck watches in the chronometer competitions of the Neuchâtel Observatory. Even before World War I, they began developing wristwatches. 

In 1969, the companies Cyma, Tavannes Watch Co. and DOXA merged to form Synchron AG, to which the Auréole company has belonged since 1972, but Tavannes Watch Co. has been independent again since 2008 and mainly sells watches in the USA.