It is very rare to find a watch from this period and of this quality, in such exceptional condition. The Chinese Peony Flowers have great symbolic importance for the Chinese. By their form, aspect, and fragrance, they are considered to be highly spiritual, reflecting the profound nature of the Chinese people. Poems and proverbs show the importance of flowers in the culture: ?There is no flower without beauty in the world?; ?A flower gives us a glimpse of paradise?. Flower motifs are often used in art objects and objects of value. Certain flowers have a particular importance. The lotus symbolizes purity, the chrysanthemum perseverance, the plum blossom integrity, etc. The importance of flowers is so great that a country's destiny can become linked to that of a flower. The peony, with its generous forms, brilliant colors, and heady fragrance, thus became the most important flower for the Chinese. It is considered to symbolize wealth, nobility, power, and happiness. Known as the ?queen of flowers? or the flower of riches and honor, the peony symbolizes wealth and distinction. Paintings of peonies are often hung in Chinese homes for good luck and in offices to bring success in business. The complimentarity of opposites is another traditional Chinese theme associated with the peony, which is thought to be a positive influence for woman and man living harmoniously together. The Chinese peony is also an emblem of love and a symbol of feminine beauty. In the ancient Chinese "Book of Odes", amorous youths and maidens give each other peonies. White peonies traditionally symbolize young girls who are distinguished mainly by their wit but also by their beauty. Red has long been regarded as a life-giving color, so red peonies are admired and highly valued. The peony is one of the flowers of the four seasons and corresponds to late spring and early summer. Subtle lines are often employed in Chinese paintings of peonies in order to depict the life force of the plants. The deep and rich symbolism attached to the flower for the Chinese would have made it an ideal subject for expensive watches and those destined for exalted patrons, even for the Emperor himself. The flower's sym-bolism would have been immediately recognized and appreciated by China's elite, who would have seen in it a flattering reference to their own wealth and power. The Peony The exceptional realism and depth of the painted on enamel flower show that it is certainly by one of the best Genevan enamel painters, evidently the same one that decorated an identical watch sold as part of the Albert Odmark Collection, Christie's London, March 11, 2005. A watch decorated with a peony flower and sold by Antiquorum, Geneva on 18th April 1998, Lot 51, also belongs to this series. Further such watches were sold by Antiquorum on November 13-14, 2004, lot 48, and on April 21, 1996, lot 267 (almost identical to the one sold in 2004). Another example in the form of a pink rose sold at Sotheby's, Masterpieces From the Time Museum, December 2, 1999, Lot 26. This watch provides documentary evidence that this group of watches were made for the Imperial Chinese Court, as it was engraved "Mary P. Mercer, 17th December 1863 from the Summer Palace Peking, 17th October 1863". It is very likely that the present watch was made by the firm of Jaquet Droz. The enamel flower extends to the very edges of the case and in comparison with other watches of the genre, it is quite modestly decorated. This has the effect of allowing the full beauty of the enamel flower to be appreciated as a work of art. The artist was clearly an experienced painter of botanical specimens because all the watches are decorated as true representations of the flowers they depict.