JUST & SON. AN EXTREMELY FINE, RARE AND DECORATIVE 18K GOLD, ENAMEL AND PEARL-SET OPENFACE CENTRE SECONDS DUPLEX WATCH, MADE FOR THE CHINESE MARKET

SIGNED JUST & SON, LONDON, NO. 3332, CIRCA 1840

Just & Son. An extremely fine, rare and decorative 18K gold, enamel and pearl-set openface centre seconds duplex watch, made for the Chinese market
Signed Just & Son, London, No. 3332, circa 1840 
Cal. 20''' Chinese calibre finely chased and engraved entirely floral and scroll decorated gilt-finished movement, free standing barrel, ruby duplex escapement with ruby rest insert and steel impulse pallet, engraved floral and scroll decorated gold cuvette, white enamel dial, Roman numerals, centre seconds, circular case, pearl-set bezel, rim, pendant and bow, alternating black and white champlevé enamel decorated band, back decorated with a polychrome enamel bouquet of flowers centred by two courting doves, made by using two different enamel techniques, champlevé and painted enamel, movement signed and numbered, cuvette numbered
54 mm. diam. 

The present watch is a fine example of a timepiece made for the Chinese market, distinguished by the beautiful enamel work, imitating cloisonné enamel. This uncommon and laborious method required a highly skilled gold chaser to carve the metal, creating the desired motif by leaving only the fine contour lines, the aspect comparable to cloisonné. The cells were then decorated with the desired images by a combination of enamel painting and vitreous enamel.