Swiss centre seconds watch for the Chinese market Circa 1800

Gold and enamel cylinder watch by John Kenable
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A Swiss remarkable and large 18 carat gold and enamel open faced centre seconds cylinder pocket watch of high quality made for the Chinese Market, circa 1800. The Shepherdess of the Alps.
The case back with a polychrome enamel oval medallion on an engine-turned translucent blue enamelled ground, the painted scene depicting a sylvan mountain landscape with a shepherdess listening to the tunes of a flute-playing shepherd after a painting by Angelika Kauffmann and an engraving by Francesco Bartolozzi, both bezels are embellished with a geometric pattern of translucent green enamel and gold paillon leaves on a blue ground matching the pendant. White enamel dial with Roman hours, outer minute divisions, centre seconds and gold spade hands.
Lavishly floral engraved full plate movement, going barrel, cylinder escapement and a three arm brass balance.
Movement signed.
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Diameter: 54 mm
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Weight: 101 g
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Signed: John Kenable Frith Street London
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The painting shows a pastorale motif from Charles Dibdin‘s (1745-1814) “The Shepherd’s Artifice”. It is based on the story of Gualtherus and Griseldis, where the king of Sicily Gualtherus meets the poor shepherdess Griseldis, who he had married years ago and later forced into exile. Griseldis is a fictitious character and first appears in Boccaccio’s Decamerone. She has to pass a number of tests set by her husband, who wants to make sure his wife is perfectly devoted to him. In European literature, the story of Gualtherus and Griseldis is often repeated in various adaptations, for example by Hans Sachs, Friedrich Halm, Gerhart Hauptmann and Maria Edgeworth. Alessandro Scarlatti, Antonio Vivaldi and Jules Massenet set it to music.
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This watch belongs to a small group decorated with enamel scenes taken from engravings by Francesco Bartolozzi, after original paintings by contemporary artists such as Angelica Kauffman and William Hamilton. At least six are known bearing the signature of John Kenable of Frith Street, Soho in London. Three of these are in oval cases and a further three are in regular round cases. They are all of large size and notably slim. It is certain that the movements were made in Switzerland and can be compared to pieces from the Jaquet-Droz workshop. It is most likely that the enamels were also executed in Geneva or possibly by a Genevan artist working in London. The enamels have been attributed as possibly by Jean Abraham Lissignol, but in his will, Kenebel makes a generous bequest to his sister, whose married name was Lionhard and who was living in Rolle, Switzerland. Whether there is any connection with the famous family of painters and enamellers, the Liotards, is speculation, although it is interesting to note that Jean-Etienne Liotard moved close by to Nyon in 1786 where he concentrated on enamel painting.
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John Kenebel (also Knobel, Kenable or Kenabel), Frith Street, Soho, London is not recorded in any of the standard lists of watchmakers’ names which is unsurprising on account of the fact that watches bearing his signature are rare and he was technically a jeweller as is stated in his will: “This is the last will and testament of Mr Jean Louis Knobel at times called John Kenebel of Frith Street in the parish of St. Anne, Soho…..Jeweller…..”. The bequests to his sister in Nyon and others in his will would point to him having been born in Switzerland. Most, if not all of his known work is clearly made for export to the Chinese Market. Kenebel died in July 1810.
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Francesco Bartolozzi was born on September 21st, 1727 in Florence, Italy and died on March 7th, 1815 in Lissabon, Portugal. He was a painter and engraver who mainly worked in England.
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Angelika Kauffmann or Maria Anna Angelica Kauffmann was born on 30 October 1741 in Chur, Switzerland and died on 5 November 1807 in Rome, Italy. She originally was a Swiss or Austrian painter who also worked in England and Italy.
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William Hamilton (1751–1801) was an English painter and illustrator. Hamilton was born in Chelsea, London, but travelled and worked in Italy with Antonio Zucchi for several years. He trained first as an architectural draftsman but soon moved to theatrical portraits and scenes from plays. Hamilton became an associate member of the Royal Academy in 1784 and was made a full member in 1789.
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Jean Abraham Lissignol was a Swiss painter, revolutionary and one of the finest enamellers of his time. He was born in Geneva on May 7th, 1749 and died in Plainpalais on June 28th, 1819. He was the pupil of Jean-Marc Roux and later became his partner. Specialized in snuff boxes and watch cases, he worked for Jaquet-Droz & Leschot, the Rochat Brothers and John Rich.