(*) Perret & Berthoud, Locle / Constant Piguet, Case No. 29779, 56 mm, 138 g, circa 1900

An important very fine minute repeating hunting case pocket watch with 'Westminster' carillon - with original box Case: 18k rose gold, glazed movement. Dial: enamel. Movm.: bridge movement, 4 hammers / 4 gongs, Pat. 11948, gold screw compensation balance. Westminster Carillon Watches with a carillon minute repeating mechanism are an extremely rare find; there are only very few pieces known today that have Westminster chimes or four hammers. The design was patented as patent no. 11948 on March 20, 1896, by Constant Piguet. The two other makers who were known to have specialized in this type of watch were Eduard JeanRichard and Victorin Piguet and to the best of our knowledge only three tunes were played by the four hammer carillons - Westminster chimes, the Swiss National anthem and God Save theKing. Ulysse Perret founded the company Universal Watch in Le Locle in 1894 together with his friend Numa-Emile Descombes; unfortunately Descombes died suddenly in 1897 at the age of 34 and Perret employed Louis Edouard Berthoud as a specialist for complicated watches. They used Perret & Berthoud to sign their watches but returned to the name Universal Watch eventually after moving back to Geneva. This watch was made at that time and is fitted with the splendidly intricate carillon repeater; movement and dial are superb and in perfect condition, the case shows tiny traces of wear.