Unique French gold and cloisonné enamel watch Circa 1870

Cylinder watch for the Chinese market by Breguet student Charles Oudin
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Unique French 18 carat gold and cloisonné enamel pocket watch made for the Chinese market, circa 1870. Cylinder movement with wolf’s toothing. White enamel dial in Louis XV style with black Roman hours and red Arabic minutes, rose gold fleur-de-lys hands. Case with very fine and rare enamel work, showing a crane, in cloisonné technique to the back, to the inside very decorative counter cloisonné enamel with a floral design. Dome signed and numbered, inscribed Horloger de la Marine, dial signed.
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Diameter: 31 mm
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Weight: 32 g
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Signed: Charles Oudin Bréveté Palais Royal 52 Paris
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Cloisonné is an ancient technique for decorating metalwork objects with coloured material held in place or separated by metal strips or wire, normally of gold. In recent centuries, vitreous enamel has been used, but inlays of cut gemstones, glass and other materials were also used during older periods, indeed, cloisonné enamel very probably began as an easier imitation of cloisonné work using gems. The resulting objects can also be called cloisonné.