English 18K gold and pearl set pocket watch Circa 1790

Gold open faced key winding lever watch
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A magnificent and exceptionally rare English 18 carat gold open faced pocket watch featuring intricate openwork monogramming and split pearl decoration, made by the celebrated firm Elkington & Co. on Regent Street, London, circa 1790. This watch has a mechanical key winding movement with a lever escapement, chain fusee, spiral balance, and an advance/retard adjustment regulator racket, signed on the backplate Elkington, Regent Street, London. The white enamel dial features black Arabic numerals for the hours, a fine outer minute track, sleek blued steel spade hands, and a winding aperture near 4 o’clock.
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The timepiece is housed in a spectacular hinged round 18 carat gold case. The front features a bezel set with a continuous row of split pearls, while the reverse has a matching pearl set rim framing an openwork exhibition back. This reverse cover is masterfully carved into a polished gold relief interlocking monogram, creating a skeletonized window that reveals the entire fire gilded mechanical movement beneath.
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Diameter: 48 mm
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Weight: 84.80 g
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Signed: Elkington, Regent Street, London
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Elkington & Co.
The maker of this outstanding exhibition piece, Elkington & Co., rose from a small manufacturer of gilded novelties to international fame after George Richards Elkington perfected and patented the industrial technique of electroplating in 1840. While the firm’s immense commercial success was built on high quality silver plated tableware and faithful electrotype replicas of ancient and medieval treasures, unique horological creations from their prestigious Regent Street boutique remain extraordinarily rare. To ensure their premier output reflected Victorian luxury, Elkington routinely commissioned the finest artists and sculptors of the era, such as Christopher Dresser and Léonard Morel-Ladeuil. The enormous wealth generated by their industrial plating patents allowed the firm to produce highly valuable showcase presentation objects, such as this solid gold, pearl set openwork watch, explicitly designed to demonstrate the ultimate artistic and mechanical capabilities of their master workshops.