Lot 230

George Prior, London, 56 mm, 150 g, circa 1820
A magnificent triple cased gold enamel pocket watch in practically new condition, with quarter repeater for the Ottoman market
Case: outer case - 18k rose gold, glazed, pierced, à goutte, florally engraved, polychrome enamelled. Middle case - 18k rose gold, pierced, à goutte, florally engraved, polychrome enamelled, the back side with an exquisite translucent polychrome enamelled medallion depicting a maritime landscape. Inner case - 18k gold, florally hand-engraved and pierced, rear bell. Dial: enamel. Movm.: full plate movement, 2 hammers, 2 barrels, three-arm steel balance.
Movement as well as case design of these watches intended for the Turkish market were already outmoded in 1817 - and even more so in later years; nevertheless Edward Prior and some of his contemporaries such as George Prior (II), George Charle, Markwick Markham-Perigal and Isaac Rogers specialized on this type of watch because there was a ongoing demand for them on the Turkish market - be it from tradition or from a true love of the elaborately ornamented movements and cases. It is quite possible that many of these watches - the one we have here is among them - never even left England, because their exotic beauty had its devotees in their own country too. Very often these buyers kept the watch safely in a drawer like jewellery, which explains the mint condition of some of these marvellous pieces - as it is the case with our watch. The exquisite gold enamel cases were probably created by goldsmith Augustus Newman in 7 Plumptree Street, Bloomsbury, London, whose mark appears for the first time on November 4th, 1813; we still do not know who painted the gallant scenes on the outer cases though.

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