Swiss pocket watch with portrait on the back lid Circa 1913

Silver open faced pocket watch by Tavannes Watch Co.
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A rare Swiss gentleman’s pocket watch with auxiliary seconds and a portrait of Henri Sandoz Fondateur de la TW Co. (Tavannes Watch Co.) on the back lid, circa 1913. The watch has a silver chased case. It features a signed enamel dial with Arabic Empire numerals, auxiliary seconds, and blued spade hands. The movement is bridge-style, rhodium-plated, with fausses côtes decoration. It is chatoned and has a screw compensation balance and an index spring fine adjusting device.
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Diameter: 50 mm
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Weight: 99 g
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Signed: Tavannes Watch Co.
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Henri-Frédéric Sandoz (1851-1913), whose father was also a watchmaker, apprenticed with a case maker. In 1870, he founded the company Henri Sandoz & Fils in Le Locle. Sandoz concentrated on machine production of watches and even produced repeater watches in this manner. He obtained a patent for a chronograph in 1890 and moved to the nearby borough of Tavannes in 1891 because of better conditions. Here, Sandoz established the Tavannes Watch Co., which, in 1913, had a workforce of approx. One thousand workers and produced 2,500 watches per day. Gustav and Albert Stolz were among the pupils of Sandoz.