Spectacular Swiss gold hunting cased watch Circa 1870

Gold hunting cased pocket watch made for the Persian market
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A stunning Swiss gold and gilt metal, turquoise, and diamond-set hunting cased watch, featuring a cover with an enamel painting under carved rock crystal of a Bavarian peacock, circa 1870. Possibly made for Ludwig II of Bavaria. The watch has an unsigned nickel lever movement with 15 jewels and a bimetallic compensation balance. The white enamel dial features Roman numerals, an outer Arabic minute ring, and subsidiary seconds. The case is made of gold and gilt metal, with the cover featuring an intaglio of a Bavarian peacock painted in polychrome enamel and a glazed cover. The back of the case is adorned with lozenge-shaped turquoise interspersed with rose-cut diamonds within gold lozenge-shaped settings. It also has heavily cast bezels and bows of scrolls, flowers, and foliage; a winding crown surmounted by a leaf-form boss; and a plain, rounded band. The gold cuvette is decorated with engravings and movement details and is signed Mermod Genève.
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Diameter: 50 mm
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Signed: Mermod Frères, Genève
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The dial has some scratching near the edge above 12 o’clock but is otherwise in good, clean condition. The peacock has some loss of enamel paint on the edge of its feathers to the right side but is otherwise vibrant and attractive. There are some very small and minor splits and pin holes on the cast bezels and a larger split on the back bezel at the top left side. The back of the case is attractively set with turquoise and diamonds, but there are five discoloured turquoise stones on the upper left of the case back. The movement is running, but would likely benefit from a service.
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The present watch is believed to be one of several made as a special request of Ludwig II, King of Bavaria, from 1864 to 1886. The flamboyant design of the watch reflects Ludwig’s extravagant and Romanesque lifestyle during his reign. It is thought that Ludwig commissioned several uniquely decorated watches as presentation gifts. This particular watch shares similar decorative elements with another watch owned by Ludwig, which features a well-carved Bavarian lion. The decoration on this watch includes the Bavarian flag made of turquoise and rose-cut diamonds, with the reverse side featuring an undercarved rock crystal panel depicting a peacock in full plume. Although Ludwig was famously known as the Swan King, the peacock was also a favourite animal of his. Around 1870, Ludwig withdrew from politics and focused on personal projects, including the construction of the King’s House on Schachen, which he used as a venue for special events. Notably, he decorated one room, known as the “Turkish Room,” in an elaborately Oriental style and included a replica of the Famous Peacock Throne, an extravagantly jewelled throne used by Mughal Emperors in India. The peacock, with its ostentatious, brightly coloured plumage, served as a brilliant decorative motif that suited Ludwig’s lavish aesthetic.
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King Ludwig II was born on August 25th, 1845, at Nymphenburg Castle, located outside Munich. He ascended the Bavarian throne at the age of 18, following the death of his father. One of his early actions as king was to invite Richard Wagner to his court in Munich. Ludwig II is best known for his patronage of the great composer and for commissioning the construction of several extravagant fantasy castles, including Neuschwanstein, Linderhof, and Herrenchiemsee.
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In 1885, Ludwig’s ambitious projects left him in significant debt, leading his ministers to seek a constitutional means to depose him. Ultimately, they declared him mentally unfit to rule. Ludwig was subsequently arrested and taken to Castle Berg on the shores of Lake Starnberg. The day after his transport, the King’s body was discovered in shallow water. The circumstances surrounding his mysterious death remain unsolved to this day.