Gold Grande Sonnerie Clockwatch

A large late 19th Century Swiss lever with grande sonnerie striking in a gold full hunter case.  Keyless gilt bar movement, the single going barrel driving both the strike and going trains.  Plain cock with polished steel regulator,  compensation balance with blue steel overcoil hairspring.  Club foot lever escapement.  Striking hours and quarters in passing or at will by depressing the small button in the band on two polished steel gongs.  

White enamel dial with subsidiary seconds, Arabic numerals, pierced gilt hands.  Substantial large plain 14 carat full hunter case, gold button in the band to repeat the hours and quarters. Strike silent lever under the front cover, gold cuvette engraved with details of the movement.

Circa                       1900

Diameter                 57 mm         

Anonymous           Swiss

An impressive watch in excellent overall condition.  The unusual clockwatch mechanism was patented by Henri-Onésime Stauffer of Neuchatel in February 1897.  A single barrel is used to power both the strike and going trains so the watch will run for over two days if set to silent and the repeat is used sparingly.  If the strike is enabled it will sound the hours and the quarters every quarter of an hour and still run for more than 24 hours.  The patent is also found in small carriage clocks from the early 20th Century for which it was eminently suitable

This object is eligible for a Certificate of BADA Provenance