Swiss Chinese Market Pocket Watch

Inventory number: PW1809023

Made in Switzerland circa 1870, 54mm, silver hunter case with the signed brand name in Chinese characters, made for the Chinese market. During that time, most watchmakers wrote their brand names in Chinese characters and stamped in dial and caliber in order to target the local market.

The Chinese market pocket watch is the pocket watch that specially made for the Chinese market in the 18th to 19th centuries by European watchmakers. It was originally used as a tribute to the Qing Dynasty royal family and spread among the public gradually. Many cases were generally made of silver, brass, gilt brass or silver, and decorated with painted enamel with pearls or precious jewels.

The movements are so-called “Chinese Caliber”, and many of them were engraved with beautiful patterns such as scrolled flowers and foliage, the designs were significantly recognizable. From the Chinese collectors ‘view, these kinds of pocket watches are called "The big-eight pieces”. (There is such a statement that the movement was usually designed to consist of a barrel and seven main components, eight pieces in total, and “eight" is considered as the homonym of "fortune" in Chinese, so they were gradually known as "The big-eight pieces" from the 19th century in Chinese.