It’s difficult to say who is the author of this watch. It can be attributed to several watchmakers:

· Walter Meylan in La Chaux-de-Fonds (Neuchâtel Mountains), who notably makes “répétitions carillon à 3 marteaux en vue” (repeater carillon with 3 hammers in sight), model registered under the name “Concerto”. Originally from the Vallée de Joux, he is active in La Chaux-de-Fonds (rue du Progrès, 20, until 1908; rue Jacob Brandt, 4, from 1909 to at least 1938), and in Pont-de-Martels (according to Chapuis, 1917, p. 212). Louis-Elisée Piguet delivers him a Grande Sonnerie (No. 5 556, on November 1st, 1902).

· Louis-Elisée Piguet (1836-1924) in Le Brassus (Vallée de Joux) built many watches with horological complications, including, as early as 1884 / 1885, des Grande et petite Sonnerie (later incorporating his patent of May 3, 1895, No. 10 183, for a “Mécanisme de remontoir pour montres à deux barillets.” (Winding mechanism for watches with two barrels), with minute-repeater on three gongs by three “en vue” (in sight) hammers, known as carillon, or on four gongs, known as Westminster carillon (incorporating Constant Piguet’s patent No. 11 948). At the beginning of the 20th century, a very large part of the production of this workshop (taken over by his sons in 1905, under “Les Fils de Ls. El. Piguet”) was destined for Barbezat-Bôle company, Le Locle (serial numbers in the 5 000 / 6 000; with silent regulator) but he also delivered these specific ebauches to Ulysse Nardin and Jules Jürgensen from Le Locle and to Patek Philippe and Albert Potter from Geneva.

· Constant Piguet, from Le Sentier (Vallée de Joux) and Le Locle, a watchmaker who patented a repeater-watch with four-hammer chime on four gongs (March 20, 1896, No. 11 948, for a “Montre à répétition-carillon à quatre marteaux.” (Four-hammer repeater-carillon watch.). In the 1890’s, the latter collaborated with Paul-David Nardin (1855-1920) of Ulysse Nardin, Le Locle, on experimental studies before selling the company circa 1907 to his workshop manager, Charles-Emile Jeanneret-dit-Grosjean (1861-1953).

· César Racine (1851-1931) in Le Locle (Neuchâtel Mountains). This company is famous for its simplified and patented Grande Sonnerie watches which it produced with minute-repeater on two or three gongs, then known as carillon or chimes (1893, 1898-1899), many of which were made for Zenith, Le Locle.

Note that both gongs of our movement are signed under their feet “A. Piguet”, from the name of the manufacturer, potentially established in the Vallée de Joux.

The ebauche movement may have been produced by LeCoultre & Cie, Le Sentier (Vallée de Joux).

In 1902, this manufacture delivered at least three very similar movements (calibre 19/20 RMSC) to Victorin Piguet (1850-1937), Le Sentier (Vallée de Joux) but the serial numbers of this watchmaker were at that time around 10 000. The Jeager-LeCoultre Museum at Le Sentier preserves one of these pieces which is numbered "10 382" (Inv. 1 084).

It should also be noted that there is a patent issued to A. Lugrin, L’Orient, Vallée de Joux, and La Chaux-de-Fonds, on July 26, 1902, for a “Mécansime de répétition à trois marteaux” (repetition mechanism with three hammers), two of which are superimposed (No. 26 285). This workshop will become Lemania.

Dating from the years 1920-1930, we also know minute-repeater watches, carillon or chimes on three gongs struck by three hammers, from Longines, Saint-Imier (Bernese Jura).