Swiss gold repeater with split-seconds chronograph Circa 1881

Gold gentleman’s open faced pocket watch by Louis Audemars
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A large, heavy, almost as new minute repeating Swiss gentleman’s pocket watch with split-seconds chronograph, circa 1881.
18 Carat gold, engine-turned, à goutte case with a signed gold dome, chronograph pusher via the crown, and pusher for split-seconds chronograph at 1. Signed enamel dial with Arabic numerals, auxiliary seconds, 60 min. counter, and blued spade hands. Signed, frosted, gilt bridge movement with ratchet wheel, ground and bevelled double hand tong with polished bevelling, separate ratchet wheel for split-seconds chronograph, gold screw compensation balance, blued Breguet balance spring with two terminal curves by Phillips, and counterpoised lever.
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Diameter: 60 mm
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Weight: 190 g
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Signed: Louis Audemars, Brassus & Gèneve
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Louis-Benjamin Audemars
Born in 1782 in the Vallée de Joux, he was apprenticed at 16 to the already famous Philippe Meylan, who had specialized in making watch movements. Audemars’ manual skills, keen perception and intelligence, impressed Meylan so much that he was offered a partnership.
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In 1811 Meylan went to Geneva and made Audemars his successor. He left Audemars, the workshop which produced movements for other companies. The new company Meylan formed with Piguet became beside Le Roy, Breguet, Jürgensen, Charles Oudin, LeCoultre, Piguet Frères, Bautte, Piguet & Meylan, Patek, Frodsham, Dent, and Benson important customers for Audemars.
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In 1832 Audemars decided to produce complete watches to sell under his name. Louis died a year later, leaving this challenge to his eight sons, who continued running and developing the Audemars company. Between 1832 and 1837, the company invented the keyless winding/setting system, known today as the Audemars system. Audemars catalogues list Breguet calibre watches, Breguet style repeaters with independent centre seconds, demi Breguet calibres and Breguet anti-shock devices (pare-chutes).
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The Audemars company was soon recognized as one of the best. The London Exhibition of 1851 showed ten watches with different escapements and complications. The company became famous for its ultra-complicated watches. Among the honours Audemars received were: London 1851 First Class Medal, New York 1853 Bronze Medal, Paris 1855 First Class Medal, London 1862 First Class Medal, Academie Nationale de France 1856-1863 First Class Honor Medal, Vienne 1873 Medal of Progress, Philadelphia 1876, Paris 1878 1ère Medailled’or, Croix de la Légion d’Honneur, Diplôme d’Honneur, Sidney 1879 First Class Medal, London 1880. Audemars was named Watchmaker to the Queen of England, a rare honour to be bestowed upon a foreigner.