Bovet Chinese Market Enamel Pocket Watch

Inventory Number: PW2312001DC

Made in Switzerland circa 1850, 57mm, gold open-face case with painted enamel and pearl-set bezel. The painted enamel scene depicts flower bouquets and pigeons on a solid pink ground. This type of motif is one of the most popular subjects for the Chinese market. Private Collection of Mr. Chang Wei that Executive Vice President of Macau Horologe Association.

Bovet was the first to truly organize Swiss horological trade with Chinses, where their long presence and influence gave them a virtual monopoly. 

About Bovet

Bovet Fleurier SA is a Swiss brand of luxury watchmaker registered on May 1, 1822, in London, the U.K. by Édouard Bovet for manufacturing watches exclusively for the Chinese market. It is most noted for its pocket watches manufactured for the Chinese market in the 19th century. In 1823(the 3rd year of Dao Guang Emperor), the Bovet brothers established the company in Canton, China, soon they were traveling between Canton and Macau for business. It was about this time that the company created a Chinese name to market to the middle class more effectively. The Chinese name for Bovet, "Bo Wei", became a common noun for watches in China for many years. Now they still produce high-end artistic watches.

Enamel

A vitreous substance whose main component is silica（also may have borax, lead, and potash）mixed with oxides (transition metals) that create a vast palette of colors. Enamel can be used to decorate metal surfaces, gold, silver, and copper.

Painting on the Enamel

A gold or copper plate is coated with base enamel then fired. The colors are in powder form which the enamel-painter dilutes as and when they are needed using an oily or semi-oily essence, before applying them with a fine brush. Each color is dried then fired before the next is applied. A work can be fired numerous times.

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.