Italian silver pair cased verge watch for Ottoman market Circa 1740

Silver pocket watch with Ottoman champlevé dial
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A silver pair cased watch made for the Ottoman market by Benedito Hochenadl in Venezia, Italy, circa 1740. The watch is crafted from silver and the master’s mark L.I.M. is weakly weakly visible on the plain case. The Ottoman champlevé dial has iron hands and the fine quality movement has a verge escapement.
Movement signed.
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Diameter: 53 mm
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Weight: 122 g
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Signed: Benedito Hochenadl, Venezia
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Benedito Hochenadl
Benedito Hochenadl worked in Venice in the mid 18^th century from about the 1720’s to the 1760’s and was one of the few Italian watchmakers who made watches for the Ottoman Empire. This period was marked by a flourishing of watchmaking in Venice, with craftsmanship and innovation at its core. Benedito Hochenadl primarily produced luxury pocket watches that were known for their craftsmanship and aesthetic appeal. Some of the features of his watches include:

Detailed Engravings: Many of his watches featured intricate engravings on the case, often with floral motifs or other decorative elements.

Precise Mechanisms: Hochenadl was known for using high quality, accurate movements, which resulted in reliable timekeeping.

Quality Materials: He often used precious materials such as gold and silver for the cases, as well as high quality glasses for the dials.

Intricate Dials: His pocket watches often featured rich, detailed dials with various functions, such as date displays or moon phases.

Miniature mechanisms: The watches were often compact and designed for portability, with ingenious mechanisms that fit into a small case.

These features made his watches highly sought after by collectors and watch enthusiasts.