Renaissance Pocket Watches

A very rare decorative beautiful enamel cultured seed pearl, full-faced Hunter pocket watch, with OMEGA stamped on the dial circa. 1894 -1912, probably aimed at the export market. The ingenuity of the artisan enamelers behind this lavishly decorated pocket watch is what stands out the most. The enamel seems to be painted on either side with old masters—a figure of a woman in period dress on one side and the other side with a reproduction of “An Allegory of Venus and Cupid and A Triumph of Venus” by painter Agnolo Bronzino (1503-1572). The painting displays the ambivalence, eroticism, and obscure imagery that are characteristic of the Mannerist period and is exquisitely executed. When the watchmaking industry began to boom in the 19th Century, pocket watches became the must-have tool for everyday people seeking function and style. By 1894, the most discerning customers wanted to have the very best pocket watch available, and the name OMEGA was synonymous with luxury and quality. We know the dial is in the OMEGA style and not the original, but still of some beauty and age because the forerunner of OMEGA, La Generale Watch Co, was founded at La Chaux-de-Fonds, Switzerland in 1848 by Louis Brandt, who assembled key-wound precision pocket watches from parts supplied by local craftsmen. He sold his watches from Italy to Scandinavia by way of England, his chief market. In 1894, his two sons Louis-Paul and César developed a revolutionary in-house manufacturing and total production control system that allowed component parts to be interchangeable. Watches developed with these techniques were marketed under the OMEGA brand of La Generale Watch Co. By 1903 the success of the OMEGA brand led La Generale Watch Co to spin off the OMEGA brand as its own company, and the OMEGA Watch Co was officially founded in 1903. There are also two important periods for enamel pocket watches: the first quarter of the 1600s and the two decades from 1800 to 1820. From 1800 onward, requests started coming in from China. This era saw the emergence of pocket watches and replicas made for export, some with complicated musical movements and mechanical actions whose functions were exaggerated and made visible so that buyers could marvel at their intricacy. This is an absolutely gorgeous decorative piece and is sold on its skilful enamel paintings. Enamelling is the process of decorating metallic plates in order to turn them into works of art, which takes an exorbitant amount of time to do. The pocket watch boasts an impressively large 5 cm diameter. The pale cream off-white enamel has the Swiss OMEGA symbol with Roman numerals and is signed OMEGA 1882. The circular banding design around the face of the watch is symbolic of OMEGA pocket watches of that period. The gold gilt Hunter casing is also inscribed with the OMEGA symbol. The front and back of the pocket watch are both framed with cultured seed pearl stones throughout, adding a unique touch to this lovely pocket watch. ------------------------------ Condition Report: Very Good. The enamel is intact with no signs of any deterioration. Minor scratching inside the case. 5 cm (Diameter). Our certified British Horological Institute member watchmakers inspect each watch before shipment, including final servicing, cleaning, and polishing. ------------------------------ ------------------------------ Provenance: Private collection. From a well-known independent reputable antique...