Spectacular Swiss gold hunting cased watch Circa 1870

Gold hunting cased pocket watch made for the Persian market
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A very fine and spectacular Swiss 18 Carat gold, carved reverse painted crystal intaglio, turquoise and rose-diamond set hunting cased keyless pocket watch, made for the Persian market, circa 1870.
Nickel plated movement, 15 jewels, counterpoised straight-line lever escapement, cut bimetallic compensation balance, blued steel flat balance spring, index regulator.
Case front cover set with a large domed reverse painted crystal intaglio of a peacock standing upon a starred globe, cast and chased flower and scroll border, polished band and cast and chased foliate bow, the back cover pavé set with lines of rose-cut diamonds and cut turquoises, cast and chased flower and scroll border. Hinged gold cuvette.
White enamel dial with radial Roman numerals, outer minute track with Arabic five minute numerals, subsidiary seconds. Black steel spade hands.
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Diameter: 50 mm
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Signed: Mermod Frères, Genève
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This watch is decorated with an exceptionally large reverse painted intaglio crystal, beautifully executed and extremely detailed. The combination of the depiction of the peacock and the use of turquoises on the reverse of the case suggest that the watch was almost certainly intended for the Persian market. The Peacock: Seen as a royal bird, thought to herald rain when it calls. Although the tail feathers are much admired for their beauty, the feathers are said to be symbolic of the evil eye, although some experts believe that this belief may stem from Ancient Greece, when to remove a peacock from a temple of worship was seen as a crime punishable by death. Turquoise: From French “turquoise” (meaning Turkish); the original material came from the southern slopes of the Al-Mirsah-Kuh mountains in Iran (Persia) and found its way to Europe via Turkey. Mermod Frères Geneva and Sainte-Croix, worked during the second half of the 19th century, specializing in very complicated, high quality watches and chronometers.