Swiss important gold watch for Turkish market Circa 1820

Gold enamel watch with a very early crown winding mechanism
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An important Geneva gold enamel pocket watch with a very early crown winding mechanism, four colour gold ornaments à quatre couleurs and a corresponding watch chain – produced for the Ottoman market, circa 1820. The richly decorated 18-carat gold case with arched rims is of extraordinary quality and size. The back is divided into 12 segments with alternating sections of polychrome flowers painted on enamel and chased four-colour gold ornamentation. The chased areas show musical instruments decorated with petals symbols and objects. The front is decorated in the same style.
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The case also has a case maker’s punch mark FM. The dial is white enamel with Ottoman numerals for the hours. The movement is Lepine calibre, with a cylinder escapement and a three-arm brass balance.
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Diameter: 54 mm
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Weight: 88 g
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Signed: Blondel & Melly, Geneva / Le Roy
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A similar watch with Le Roy’s Turkish signature was part of the famous Lord Sandberg Collection and is described and illustrated in Terence Camerer-Cuss The Sandberg Watch Collection. Another watch by Blondel & Melly with a similar case decoration and set with pearls was auctioned at Christie’s in 2011 for more than 55,000 Swiss Francs.
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The sultans of the Ottoman Empire discovered their passion for lavishly ornamented watches as early as the 16th century. Still, in the 18th century, the wealthy classes developed a real interest in European timepieces and their makers. Consequently, the Swiss, French and English makers set out to conquer the Ottoman market and opened branches in Constantinople. Concerning local taste, the watches were fitted with Ottoman dials and elaborately decorated cases. The correspondence between the European makers and their retailers contains extensive lists of timepieces delivered to the Ottoman Empire. These manufacturers were Blondel & Melly, George Prior, Edward Prior, Markwick Markham and Breguet.
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Le Roy or Leroy, whose signature is on the dial of this watch, was a famous maker from Paris who went to Constantinople around 1810 to represent Abraham-Louis Breguet on the Ottoman market. He also imported watches from Swiss makers and sold them to the leading dignitaries.
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Swiss watch manufactory Blondel & Melly were based in Geneva in the early 19th century. A gold enamel watch is part of the Metropolitan Museum of Art collection. A lady’s pocket watch is exhibited in the Mathematisch-Physikalischer Salon in Dresden.