Very fine Swiss gold hunter with engraved coat of arms Circa 1855

Gold hunting cased key winding lever
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A very fine Swiss 18 carat yellow gold hunting cased key winding pocket watch, circa 1855. Cover and case back are engine turned, in the center, an engraved coat of arms of Argentina. On the case back, an allegory of abundance is represented by a huge collection of exotic fruits, including pineapples, bunches of grapes, etc; the case band is chiselled. Inside cover and case back decorated en suite; inside the cover, a romantic scene depicting what appears to be the farewell of a couple of lovers; inside the cover, a probably mythological scene showing a man, perhaps Bacchus, holding a child in his arms, while a woman, probably one of the Bacchae or Maenads, amuses herself by handing him a bunch of grapes.
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White enamel dial with Roman numerals, outer minute track, subsidiary seconds at 6, and gold hands. A gilded brass movement, going barrel, lateral lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensated balance with gold poising screws, large brass weights and blued steel flat hairspring, polished steel index regulator; plate and bridges very finely engraved; main plate with foliage; bridges representing an allegory of the hunt, cut out in the shape of various classes of animals: fishes, birds, mammals and insects.
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Diameter: 52 mm
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Signed: No Name
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The engraved decoration on this watch, both on the case and on the movement, suggests an allegory of fertility. On the cover is the coat-of-arms of the Republic of Argentina, founded in 1816. One can imagine that this watch was made to commemorate the 50th Anniversary of this country or another important event; a country which was at the time considered to be a “Pays de Cocagne”, a Land of Plenty. In the imagination of certain European cultures, a Pays de Cocagne (Land of Plenty) is a kind of earthly paradise, a miraculous land where nature overflows with generosity for its inhabitants and guests.
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Far from famines and wars, Cocagne is a land of parties and perpetual bombast, where play and laziness are advocated, and work is outlawed. Thus, in many European countries, the idea of a brighter tomorrow was born, bringing a large population to various transatlantic or transoceanic countries. The watch is typical of the production of the Neuchâtel mountains in the third quarter of the 19th century. At that time, engravers on precious metal enjoyed a great reputation, notably H. Grandjean-Perrenoud, A. Dubois, various members of the Courvoisier family and Jule-Louis Jacot, etc.