Swiss silver double-sided 24-hour World Time watch Circa 1890

Silver open faced World Time watch by J.L. & A. Beguelin
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A large, rare and unusual Swiss silver open faced keyless double-dialled 24-hour World Time watch for the German market, circa 1890. Frosted gilt bridge movement, nickel-plated, decorated, compensating armature, blued balance spring, polished screws, screw compensation balance, ruby ​​bezel, straight-line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance with Breguet balance spring, rack and pinion regulator. First dial: white enamel with Roman numerals, I-XII in each half, outer dot minute divisions, outermost gold-painted 24-hour numerals, revolving centre with polychrome time zones and the names of 25 world cities, London in gold. The second dial is white enamel with the names of 43 world cities, and the central revolving dial is calibrated from 0 to 60. Massive, tiered, polished, silver case, glazed on both sides. Dial signed.
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Diameter: 62 mm
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Weight: 194 g
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Signed: J. L. & A. Beguelin Tramelan
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During the 19th century, transportation by rail and ship increased, which brought the world closer together. It is hard to believe that a single country like Germany did not have standardized time. Moritz Grossmann, a renowned watchmaker from Glashütte, advocated for the establishment of universal time with globally regulated time zones and a 24-hour division, as proposed by Sandford Fleming. When the system was finally implemented, there was a great interest in ‘World Time’ watches, and numerous models were created. A particularly notable example is the current large and heavy pocket watch with two undamaged coloured dials that display day and night, as well as the local time for 43 cities worldwide.
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Around 1880 the Swiss watch manufacturer J.L. & A. Beguelin was based in Tramelan and listed in Bern. L. Beguelin from Bern received the US patent No. 34506 on July 13, 1868, for a ‘universal’ clock (World Time clock) which displays the time for various cities around the world, the clock has two dials. The front dial with Roman hours, I-XII in each half, an outer minute track, outermost 24-hour numerals, and a revolving centre with different time zones and the names of 25 world cities. The reverse with the names of 43 world cities and a central revolving dial calibrated from 0-60. On September 17, 1885, L. Beguelin received the British Patent No. 11,050. The watch has the addition of the ‘Greenwich Patent’. There are indications that the company Beguelin & Co SA later emerged from this venture.