English triple-cased verge for the Ottoman market Circa 1858

Silver and tortoiseshell verge watch by Edward Prior
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An English silver and tortoiseshell triple-cased verge pocket watch made for the Ottoman market, circa 1858. Full plate movement, verge escapement, chain and fusee, three-arm steel balance. White enamel dial with Ottoman numerals. A silver and brass protective case covered with tortoiseshell, decorated with studs, a silver outer case, the inner case is also silver, case maker punch mark JG. Dial signed Edward Prior London, movement numbered and signed Edw. Prior London
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Diameter: 62 mm
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Weight: 162 g
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Signed: Edward Prior London
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Movement, as well as case design of these watches intended for the Turkish market, were already outmoded in 1858 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 an ongoing demand for them on the Turkish market, be it from tradition or from a true love of the elaborately ornamented movements and cases.
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Edward Prior was a London watchmaker of high repute, specializing in watches for Turkey and the Ottoman Empire. He worked between 1800 and 1868. His father was the English watchmaker John Prior (or Josephus Pryor) who was based in Nessfield. Edward ran a watch workshop in London with his brother George. The company/watch brand continued after Prior’s death.