Very fine Swiss 18K gold repeating carillon lever Circa 1910

Gold minute repeating carillon watch with Westminster chimes by Longines
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A very fine and rare Swiss 18-carat gold hunting cased minute repeating keyless lever carillon watch with Westminster chimes on four gongs with four hammers, circa 1910.
Gilt brass movement by Constant Piguet Le Sentier, 32 jewels, straight-line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance with blued steel Breguet balance spring, index regulator, repeating on four gongs with four hammers activated by a slide on the band. Gold hinged cuvette engraved with prize medals. White enamel dial with large Breguet numerals, outer minute track, subsidiary seconds, and original blued steel spade hands. Polished case. Dial, movement, case, and cuvette signed. Accompanied by the original fitted wooden box with an external repeat slide.
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Diameter: 54 mm
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Signed: Longines
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This piece is in exceptional condition, and the survival of the original box is extremely rare.
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Carillon minute repeating watches are rare; only a few are known with Westminster chimes. On March 20, 1896, Constant Piguet patented this system of minute repeat with carillon under the No. 11948. The makers specialising in this type of watch were Constant Piguet, Eduard JeanRichard, and Victorin Piguet. The known tunes played by four hammer carillons are: Westminster chimes, the Swiss National anthem, and God Save the King.  
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Longines was founded in 1832 by Ernest Francillon at Saint-Imier, Switzerland. The Longines name was once displayed above the analogue clocks topping many scoreboards in stadiums and baseball parks in America, such as the clock at Yankee Stadium before its remodelling in the early 1970s and the one at Forbes Field Pittsburgh in later years. Longines is also famous for its ‘Aviators’ watches. It is said that Albert Einstein used a Longines pocket watch and the company’s watches have been worn by many celebrities, including Humphrey Bogart, Audrey Hepburn, Billy Zane, and Harry Connick Jr. The company’s motto is ‘Elegance is an attitude.