Swiss silver Art Nouveau relief hunter cased watch Circa 1900

A pocket watch with matching chatelaine
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An unusual Art Nouveau relief hunter cased pocket watch with matching chatelaine depicting a mountaineering scene, made by the Seeland Watch Company in Madretsch (a district of Biel), Switzerland, circa 1900. The highly attractive case of the watch was crafted from silver and features a rim with a depiction of flowers and insects, high reliefs on both sides, a spring lid with depiction of a chamois buck and a back with mountaineering scene. The white enamel dial features an outer minutes and hour track with Arabic hour numerals, a subsidiary seconds dial at 6 o’clock and gold hands. The numbered movement is equipped with a precision lever escapement.
The case and cuvette are signed.
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Diameter: 54 mm
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Weight: 112 g
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Signed: Seeland
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The watch presented here comes with the original silver chatelaine, a mountaineering scene and is in fully original condition.
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Seeland Watch Company
The history of the Seeland Watch Company (officially Fabrique d’horlogerie Seeland) is a complex saga of early industrialization, frequent management shifts and eventual integration into the Invicta Watch Group.
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Holy Frères
Holy Frères was founded in 1893 by two brothers, François Holy (born 1867) and Jules Holy (1872–1950). They became a renowned Swiss watch case manufacturer specializing in guilloché (engine turned) decoration and intricate case designs. Based in the watchmaking hub of Saint-Imier, they were one of the specialized subcontractors that formed the backbone of the Swiss “établissage” system, where different companies produced specific components for final assembly by brands.

The company ceased operations over a century ago when, after decades of success in Saint-Imier, the brothers moved the headquarters to Geneva in 1920 to capitalize on its status as a global watchmaking center. The company however went bankrupt just one year after the move.