Gilt & enamel centre seconds for the Chinese market

This is a wonderful little centre seconds watch, with a cylinder escapement, in a fine pearl set silver gilt case, with beautifully painted enamel to the back. It was made for the Chinese market by the Bovet Fleurier company, in around 1850. All in exceptionally good condition.

MOVEMENT : Good quality gilt cylinder movement, jewel endstone and blued steel screws. Very good condition. The movement is protected by a glass cover, which is hinged at 6, with holes to allow winding and setting.

The movement is complete, original and is running well.

DIAL : A signed white enamel dial, in perfect condition. Centre seconds, and matching blued steel Breguet type hands. All in fine condition.

CASE : This is a wonderful case in pearl set silver gilt and enamel. Engraved on the inside back with a signature in Chinese characters.

The front bezel, back border, stem and bow are all set with tiny seed pearls. These are complete, with none missing.

The back of the case is set with a beautifully painted floral enamel plaque. The enamel is in very good condition, with just a few very light surface scratches but no chips or repairs.

The case is in excellent condition, with just a little wear to the gilding on the bow and stem where the silver shows through. The hinges are fine and the back cover opens when the button on the stem is pressed. It also snaps shut correctly. The crystal is fine.

Reference : Christies, London (Nov 2017)
The history of the celebrated Chinese market watches signed Bovet Fleurier began with the Swiss master watchmaker Edouard Bovet (1797-1849). Born in Fleurier, the 21 year old Edouard arrived in Canton in 1818 and almost immediately sold four watches for 10,000 francs, about one million US$ dollars today. He consequently decided to stay in Canton where he established in 1822 a trading company in partnership with his brothers, the firm founded by charter in London the same year. Very soon, the name “Bo Wei” or “Bo-vay” became synonymous for “watch” and in the turmoil of late Manchu China, Bovet watches spread throughout the country as a medium of exchange. In the meantime, their hometown Fleurier in the Val-de-Travers had become the European centre for the manufacture of Chinese watches, with several brands dedicated only to that flourishing market.

Bovet’s production of high quality watches made in Switzerland for the Imperial Chinese market was a resounding success. “Chinese watches” as they were soon called were elaborately decorated pocket watches. Since their first appearance nearly 200 years ago, these extremely attractive watches have never lost their fascination.