Unique Russian gold and enamel repeating pocket watch Circa 1860

Gold watch with enamelled Masonic dial 
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A unique Russian 18K pink, yellow gold and enamel quarter repeating pocket watch, circa 1820. With enamelled Masonic dial, made for Prince Nikolai Borisovich Yusupov.
An Empire case, the bezel chased with flowers and foliage on a matte ground, pink gold reeded band, pendant and bow, the back cover overlaid with translucent royal blue enamel over radial engine-turning, the centre applied with a spectacular cast, chased and engraved yellow gold military trophy in high-relief, the star on the shield with translucent blue enamel centre, outer chased hold border to match the bezel. Hinged polished pink gold cuvette with fine royal blue champlevé enamel foliate monogram NY beneath a black and red champlevé enamel Russian crown.
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Gold dial with annular white enamel chapter ring, Arabic numerals, outer minute divisions on a white enamel ring, the centre finely engraved with canopied Masonic temple and symbols decorated with white, royal blue and red champlevé enamel, light blue champlevé enamel border with engraved gold leaves and blue steel pierced hands.
A matte gilt, full plate movement, fusee and chain, verge escapement, three-arm brass balance, flat balance spring, pierced steel balance cock, blued steel regulation dial, foliate engraved backplate furniture, repeating on blued steel gongs activated by depressing the pendant. Case, cuvette and movement numbered.
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Diameter: 60 mm
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Signed: No Name
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This very fine quality and beautifully made watch would appear to have been a special commission by Prince Yusupov, one of the great Russian aristocrats. The case is unusually made of both pink and yellow gold, and the rich blue enamel back is set with a spectacular military trophy in high relief adding to the overall grandeur of the watch. The cuvette is enamelled with Prince Yusupov’s monogram beneath the Russian crown and the very fine enamel on the gold Masonic dial is a great rarity.
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Prince Nikolai Borisovich Yusupov (1750-1831) was a Russian nobleman and art collector. A patron of the arts and a keen traveller, he spoke five languages and corresponded with Voltaire. As a diplomat, Prince Nikolai travelled throughout Europe, to France and Versailles, where he met Louis XVI and Marie Antoinette, to Germany and Prussia, where he met Frederick the Great, to Austria, where he met Emperor Joseph II, and to Italy. During his journey he purchased a large collection of art for the tsar, acting as a mediator between the tsars and European artists. Yusupov collected for himself as well as collecting for the tsars, and thus his own collection of paintings and objets d’art evolved from the same sources as the Imperial one.
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His own collection included over 600 paintings, sculptures, works of applied art, and over 20,000 books and porcelain, most of which were on display in his estate. After 1917 his extensive collection was broken up and passed to several different museums, though the bulk of it is kept in Arkhangelskoye, the Hermitage and the Pushkin Museum. He died at the age of 80 and was succeeded by his second and only remaining son, Prince Boris.