Historically interesting Swiss silver half-hunting cased lever Circa 1882

Silver half hunter by Patek Philippe
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A historically interesting Swiss silver half-hunting cased lever pocket watch, circa 1882. Retailed by H. Müller & Co, Sole Agents in Shanghai. Sold to the German diplomat and consul of Taiwan, Dr Constantin Merz. 2/3 Plate movement, lever escapement, screw compensation balance. White enamel dial with Roman hours, outer minute divisions and sunk subsidiary seconds at 6 0’clock. Plain case, inlaid radial Roman numerals on the front. Dial signed H. Müller & Co Shanghai Sole Agents, case numbered, cuvette and movement numbered and signed by the watchmaker, case and movement with matching numbers.
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Diameter: 51 mm
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Weight: 111 g
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Signed: Patek, Philippe & Co Geneva
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Dr Constantin Merz was born in 1959 and died in 1921. After having served as deputy consul in Tainan, Southern Taiwan since 1890 he was assigned to the newly established German consulate in Taipeh in the North in 1895. However, during the Japanese colonial era, the volume of Taiwan’s international trading decreased continuously. In 1912 the German Empire eventually closed the consulate and sold the building it had acquired in 1899 from the Japanese government.