97th Auction

2018/5/12

Lot 233

Timothy Williamson, London, Movement No. 2614, 45 mm, 80 g, circa 1772
An English gold enamel verge pocket watch for the Chinese market
Case: 22k gold, polychrome enamel, case maker's punch mark "DP" (David Pullin). Dial: enamel. Movm.: full plate movement, chain/fusee, three-arm brass balance.
Case with engine-turned pattern and cobalt blue enamelling; gold-bordered oval cartouche on the back with a basket of flowers, musical instruments, sheet music, a quiver and a pair of doves entwined by flowers.
This watch is a typical example of the timepieces that were produced for the Chinese market, which Williamson had excellent relations to. Timothy Williamson created his pocket watches and music automatons among others for the emperor of China, to be seen in the Carnegie Museum in Pennsylvania, the Peiping Museum and the Palace Museum in Peking. Williamson was a trained goldsmith and it is likely that he created and engraved some of his cases himself. The movements, however, were probably supplied by William Hughes, a maker who Williamson had a close relationship with, as stated by Roger Smith in an article written for Antiquarian Horology (no. 5, Vol. 30, March 2008, p. 643).
Britten’s Old Clocks and Watches and Their Makers lists Timothy Williamson as active in London from 1769 until 1788, first in Fleet Street and later in Great Russell Street.

estimated
4.0008.000 €
Price realized
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