English gold cylinder watch for the Ottoman market Circa 1820

Gold, enamel and half pearl set open faced watch by George Prior
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An important, fine English hour repeating pair cased pocket watch with half hour and hour self-strike made for the Ottoman market, circa 1820. Full plate movement, cylinder escapement, keywind, one hammer, two barrels, three armed brass balance. White enamel dial with Turkish numerals. Outer case 18 carat gold, decorated with opaque light blue and translucent red champlevé enamel, half pearl set bezel, wavy edges, to the back an opaque polychrome painting of a bouquet of summer flowers against an azure blue ground, framed by a border of half pearls, inner case also 18 carat gold, pierced and engraved with acanthus foliage, flower medallions and a centred blossom, rear bell, protective cap.
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Diameter: 57 mm
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Weight: 171 g
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Signed: Gge Prior London
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George Prior, the son of John Prior of Nessfield, also a clockmaker, was a leading London maker of watches for the Turkish and Islamic markets in association with Edward Prior, who was probably his brother. On two occasions, he received an award from the Society of Arts for his productions.
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The movement, as well as case design of watches intended for the Turkish market, were already outmoded around 1820 and even more so in later years. Nevertheless, George Prior and some of his contemporaries such as Edward Prior, George Charle, Markwick Markham-Perigal and Isaac Rogers specialized in 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, this piece amnongst 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.