Hri. Grandjean & Co

Hri. Grandjean & Co., Locle, Swiss, No. 26534, made for the South American Market, circa 1870. Very fine and very rare,18K gold hunting cased, keyless minute repeating watch with a photographic portrait, simulating a Daguerotype by Favre, on the cuvette. Four body, massive, "bassine et filets", fully engraved with a floral and foliage decoration, the cover engraved inside with a dedication dated 1873. Hinged gold cuvette, the border engraved with foliage over a vermicelli ground and centered with a photographic portrait simulating a Daguerotype by Favre. White enamel with Roman numerals and sunk subsidiary seconds. Gold and enamel paste-set hands. Notes Photographic portraits on the cuvette of watches for the American Market are often found, but they were usually made after 1880. Being made circa 1870, the primitive technique used for this watch gives to the photographic portrait on the cuvette of this watch, the appearance of a Daguerrotype. This is certainly one of the first watch of this type ever produced.