Swiss 18K yellow gold full hunter pocket watch Circa 1865

Gold hunting cased key winding watch
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A fine Swiss 18 carat yellow gold full hunter pocket watch retailed by J R Losada London, circa 1865. It has a mechanical key winding movement signed J R Losada London; the winding key is not included. The white enamel dial shows black Roman numerals for the hours, a fine outer minute track, a subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o’clock, and elegant blued steel filigree hands. The timepiece is housed in a magnificent round three body, 18 carat solid yellow gold full hunter case. The exterior covers are elaborately engraved with detailed garland floral motifs. This is paired with a delicately fluted caseband, a rounded winding stem, a sturdy round suspension bow, and a solid 18 carat gold inner protective cuvette, beautifully engraved J R Losada 281 Regent Street London.
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Diameter: 51 mm
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Weight: 107.8 g
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Signed: J R Losada London
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José Rodríguez Losada was the most celebrated Spanish watchmaker of the nineteenth century who operated a legendary luxury boutique in Great Britain. Born in Iruela, Spain, in 1797, Losada fled his home country due to his liberal political activities during the reign of Ferdinand VII. He settled as an exile in London around 1835. He opened a magnificent flagship establishment on the prestigious Regent Street, moving to the famous 281 address in 1853. There he achieved monumental success by positioning himself as the primary conduit of high precision horology for the Spanish and Latin American royal courts and aristocratic elites. While his London workshops built and assembled standard marine chronometers and clock movements, Losada acted primarily as an elite retailer for his ultra luxury pocket watches. He sourced flawless raw mechanisms and exquisitely decorated gold cases from the finest master craftsmen in Switzerland before applying his own highly respected London signature and sequential serial numbers. Celebrated globally for his meticulous quality standards and monumental public clocks, including the historic clock tower in the Puerta del Sol in Madrid, surviving timepieces retailed under Losada’s name are highly coveted historical artefacts that showcase the height of nineteenth century cross border luxury horology.