English extremely rare oval shaped pocket watch Circa 1800

Oval-shaped cylinder watch for the Chinese market
–
An extremely rare and very fine oval gold enamel English pocket watch, for the Chinese market, circa 1800.
18-carat gold enamel case, the back cover engine turned, and translucent cobalt blue enamelled, in the centre the depiction of a polychrome and translucent enamelled antique vase with a fine composition of summer flowers, very finely decorated bezels. Enamel dial, eccentric hour indicator with Arabic numerals, auxiliary seconds and filigree gold hands. Fire gilt oval bridge movement with keywind, finely engraved barrel with the depiction of a trotting horse, cylinder escapement, three-arm brass balance and chatoned diamond endstone on balance.
–
Diameter: 49 x 56 mm
–
Weight: 98 g
–
Signed: No name
–
Oval pocket watches for the Chinese market Oval watches are very rare and equally coveted by museums and collectors. Oval watches always came in pairs, but only very few of them still exist. Two such pairs were part of the Patek Philippe museum exhibition “Le Miroir de la Séduction” – Prestigieuses paires de montres “chinoise”. Most of these watches were or still are part of prestigious collections such as that of King Farouk of Egypt, the Sir David Salomon Collection, the Marryat Collection, the Sandoz Collection in the Musée du Locle and the Lord Sandberg Collection.