Swiss gold duplex made for the Chinese market Circa 1850

Gold enamelled center seconds watch by Edouard Juvet
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A very fine Swiss 18 carat gold and enamel open faced center seconds pocket watch made for the Chinese market, circa 1850. The foliate chased and engraved gilt movement with a Chinese caliber, duplex escapement, hanging barrel, bimetallic compensation balance with wedge shaped polished steel weights and an index regulator. A sprung and hinged gold cuvette. White enamel dial with Roman hours, an outer minute track, Arabic quarter hour numerals and original gold hands. The polychrome enamelled case with a finely painted scene called The Country Serenade on the back, depicting a seated shepherd playing the flute with a shepherdess and her female companion listening in a wooded landscape with a blue sky. Movement signed, case numbered.
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Diameter: 58 mm
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Signed: Edouard Juvet Fleurier
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The polychrome enamel scene on the back of this piece is painted on several watches (at least eight) by Edouard Juvet. In some pairs of his contemporary watches, decorated with other subjects, the scenes are in mirror images.

The painted enamel scene that adorns this piece is inspired by the Romantic English painting tradition of artists such as William Hamilton R(oyal) A(cademia) (1751-1801). Around 1790, Hamilton painted a series of paintings of the four parts of the day (Morning, Noon, Evening and Night), inspired by The Seasons by James Thompson (1700-1748) and engraved by Francesco Bartolozzi (1727-1815).