Gold Swiss enamel open faced keyless lever watch Circa 1923

Yellow gold Swiss enamel open faced keyless lever watch
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A yellow gold Swiss enamel open-faced keyless lever watch, circa 1923, gilt lever movement, bimetallic compensation balance.
Campagne dial, Breguet numerals, blued steel spade hands.
18k Yellow gold case, bezel ornamented with Greek key pattern in black enamel, back case with burgundy red enamel and black enamel center depicting a silhouette of Greek figure, case, dial and movement signed.
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Diameter: 45 mm

Signed: Patek Philippe
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On 1 May 1839 the Polish businessman Antoni Patek and the Polish watchmaker Franciszek Czapek founded a company in Geneva that they named Patek, Czapek and Cie. Czapek lived in Switzerland since 1832 and changed his name to François Czapek when he became nationolized.
The company ran well but they split up in 1844 and each set up their own company: Patek and Cie and Czapek and Cie.

In 1844 Patek met the French watchmaker Jean-Adrien Philippe, who demonstrated his new invention: the first watch without a wind-up key. Patek and Philippe decided to work together from 1845 and in 1851 their company Patek Philippe and Cie was founded. In 1901 the name was officially Ancienne Manufacture d’Horlogerie Patek Philippe and Cie, S.A.