Whampoa Anchorage Just & Son

Whampoa Anchorage Just & Son, No. 1888, probably made by Bovet in Fleurier, circa 1840. Very fine and important18K gold and painted on enamel center-seconds watch with duplex escapement, made for the Chinese market. Two-body, “Chinese” type, spring-loaded back very finely painted with a junk in the foreground, the background with the 9-story Whampoa Pagoda against dramatic clouds, champlevé enamel bezels, pendant, and bow, spring-loaded silver gilt cuvette attached to the movement ring. Silver, slightly convex, matte, radial Roman numerals, outer minute divisions,outermost seconds divided into fifths. Gold “spoon” hands. 50 mm (22’’’), gilt brass fully engraved “Chinese” caliber, free-standing barrel, ruby duplex escapement with ruby restand steel impulse pallets, plain steel five-arm balance, flatbalance spring.Signed on the movement, case punched with prestige marks.Diam. 59 mm. Notes An interesting watch with a case in the style of Bovet. Indeed, there is little doubt that Just & Son purchased the watch from Bovet. The case is punched with a “B” in a lozenge, a punch mark found on many Bovet watches, some of which are preserved in the Bovet private museum. The watch’s decoration is unusual; as a rule, watches for the Chinese market were enameled with European scenes. This watch features a Chinese scene, with a junk in the famous Whampoa Anchorage, all its details being clearly shown in the foreground.