Swiss silver rare lever-duplex pocket watch Circa 1835

Open faced lever-duplex pocket watch with centre seconds
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A Swiss pocket watch with centre seconds and rare lever-duplex escapement “Ancre à chicane”, circa 1835,
Even though this pocket watch has not been decorated with one of the marvellous enamel paintings that are so often seen on Bovet’s timepieces, the watch still boasts an extremely lavishly ornamented movement that was created especially to please the Chinese taste.
A silver case with glazed movement and a white enamel dial.
Movement  “Montre-Chinoise” – Lepine calibre, keywind, standing barrel, brass/steel balance with 3 screws and 3 blued weights.
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Diameter: 56 mm
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Weight: 100 g
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Signed: Bovet Fleurier
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Edouard Bovet 
Master Swiss watchmaker Edouard Bovet was one of the many who concentrated on the Chinese market. He arrived in Canton in 1830 carrying five top-quality watches, all of which he sold immediately, to mandarins who paid him in gold bars. Delighted, he wrote to his brother in Switzerland, enthusing about the market potential and asking him to send more watches, but only of the very best quality, since this was where the demand lay and there was no difficulty about payment. The 17th century Ching Dynasty Emperor K’ang-Hsi was a great admirer of the European sciences, especially that of horology, and he established several imperial workshops in which Chinese craftsmen made clocks and watches under the direction of imported European watchmakers, amongst whom were several masters. At K’ang-Hsi’s invitation, the Zougeese master watchmaker François-Louis Stadlin became director of the imperial workshops, and the Emperor’s favourite.