English 18 carat gold highly complicated à goutte watch Circa 1884

Pocket watch with eight complications
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A highly complicated full hunter cased watch with eight complications, made by the royal chronometer maker Sir John Bennett, in London, England, circa 1884. The numbered full hunter case of this watch was crafted from 18 carat gold and has typical decorations for the Oriental market on the lids: a spiral of leaves and flowers on the back and a wreath, half laurel, half oak leaf with the owner’s name engraved Mufti Mohammed Baqar in the center of the front lid. Additionally, the case has the London Hallmarks from 1884 and the cuvette has the English royal coat of arms and an inscription Maker to the Royal Observatory.
The white enamel dial has Roman hour numerals, dial for the dates, moon phase and age, days and months at respectively 3, 6, 9 and 12 o’clock and gold hands. The numbered movement has a typical English precision lever escapement, eight complications, perpetual calendar, moon phase and moon age, a chronograph and a minute repeater.
The case and movement have matching numbers and the cuvette and movement are signed.
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Diameter: 54 mm
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Weight: 182 g
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Signed: John Bennett, 65&64 Cheapside London
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The item presented here is a very rare and highly complicated English collector’s watch, of which plate has an old restoration.
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Bennett
Sir John Bennett (15 October 1814 – 3 July 1897) was an English watchmaker and was appointed Royal Chronometer Maker. As the eldest son of watchmaker John Bennett from Greenwich, he was educated at Colfe’s Grammar School in Lewisham. In 1846 he set up his own business as a watchmaker at 65 Cheapside in the City of London. Sir John Bennett is known to have made highly complicated pocket watches, including the Grande Complication.