American decorative metal with gold inlaid pocket watch Circa 1900

Metal decorated lever watch by American Waltham Watch Co.
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A decorative and rare American metal open faced lever pocket watch, circa 1900. Glazed gilt 4/5 plate movement, a lever escapement and screw compensation balance.
White enamel dial with radial Roman hours, an outer minute track, sunk subsidiary seconds at 6 o’clock and spade hands. The case back with a Japanese woodcut motif in the Nunome-Zogan technique showing the city of Hakone on Lake Ashinoko inscribed in Japanese in the upper right corner, the inner lid is signed Kyoto-shi Komai-sei (in English: Kyoto city – made by Komai).
Dial signed, movement signed and numbered.
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Diameter: 51 mm
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Weight: 103 g
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Signed: American Waltham Watch Co.
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The Komai family worked as sword makers in Kyoto, Japan for generations. In 1853, the family invented a special technique of damascene (Nunome-Zogan in Japanese), which begins with a very fine cross etching of the metal base and then continues with the inlay of thin gold or silver threads to create scenes rich in detail. Since the edict of 1876, the Japanese were no longer allowed to carry swords, so the Komai family was forced to decorate everyday objects with their Damascus handicraft. They produced various objects, from combs and buttons to cabinets and shrines. The Komai family soon became internationally known and won prizes at international exhibitions. Since many works were exported abroad, only very few pieces the family made remain in Japan today.