Swiss 18K gold enamel full hunter pocket watch Circa 1900

Gold hunting cased keyless lever watch with yellow gold chain
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A fine and ornate Swiss 18 carat yellow gold hunting cased pocket watch made by Alfred Lavalette, circa 1900. This watch has a highly decorated mechanical crown winding manual wind movement featuring a lever escapement, beautifully engraved bridges, a compensated balance wheel, and an inner gold cuvette inscribed Échappement à Ancre Coq, featuring a balance bridge beautifully engraved with the image of a dog. The grey dial, decorated with applied gold flowers, shows black Roman numerals for the hours, outer minute dots, a subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o’clock, and ornate blued steel hands. These are framed by a beautiful inner dial border with applied gold floral motifs. The timepiece is housed in an 18 carat solid yellow gold full hunter case. It features an exquisitely engraved case back adorned with multicoloured enamel and a central vacant cartouche, a matching decorated front cover, a fluted winding crown, and a sturdy round suspension bow. It is accompanied by a matching yellow gold chain.
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Diameter: 40 mm
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Weight: 139 g
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Signed: Alfred Lavalette
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Alfred Lavalette was the brother in law of Alfred Jürgensen and collaborated extensively with the renowned Swiss/Danish maison Jules Jürgensen. His timepieces are distinguished by high end movements and early chronographs that were custom made for him by Jürgensen’s manufactory around 1860. Crafted in Swiss horology centres such as Geneva and Le Locle, his watches mainly targeted the affluent American market and were often encased in elaborate, decorative cases.