Swiss centre seconds lever made for Chinese market Circa 1895

Gold, enamel and half pearl set open faced watch by Sandoz
–
A very fine and rare Swiss 18 Carat gold, enamel and half pearl set open faced minute repeating centre seconds lever gentleman’s pocket watch made for the Chinese market, circa 1895. Comes with the original presentation box.
Engine turned case back overlaid with translucent red enamel decorated with an opaque polychrome enamelled scene of a young lady playing the flute while sitting in a field of flowers, half pearl studded bezels, the case band with translucent red enamelled lozenges and foliage, florally engraved gold dome, pusher for seconds stop through the crown and a slide for the repeating mechanism.
Signed white enamel dial with radial Roman hours, Arabic minutes, centre seconds and florally decorated gem set hands. Frosted gilt bridge movement, two hammers, two gongs, governor for repetition, inscribed U.S. Pat. Jul. 29.90, chatoned centre wheel, screw compensation balance and regulator tail.
–
Diameter: 53 mm
–
Weight: 131 g
–
Signed: Sandoz Locle
–
This is one of the relatively rare enamel watches with complications. Several companies have the name Sandoz in Le Locle, the one in question was most likely case maker Frédéric Henri Sandoz, 1851-1913, son of a watchmaker, who founded his company in 1870. The enamelling and particularly the painting must have been carried out by one of the outstanding enamel painters in Geneva at the time, who, in contrast to their colleagues in earlier centuries, remained anonymous.