English 18K gold chased open faced pocket watch Circa 1825

Gold open faced key winding lever watch
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A fine English 18 carat yellow gold open faced pocket watch made by John Helsby in Liverpool, circa 1825. It features a mechanical key winding full plate fire gilded brass movement with a chain driven fusee, a lever escapement, and a hand pierced and engraved gilt balance cock decorated with floral scrollwork centring a blue steel screw and a diamond endstone. The movement has a signed gilt brass dust cap, and the movement plate is signed and numbered Jn. Helsby / Liverpool /. The tricoloured gold engine turned dial has applied gold Roman numerals for the hours, a central medallion chased with floral scrolls in rose, green, and yellow gold, a matching tricolour chased outer floral border, and blued steel spade hands.
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The timepiece is housed in a round three body, 18 carat solid yellow gold open faced case with an engine turned reverse back cover centring a small vacant circular cartouche. It has high relief, hand chased floral and scrollwork bezels, a caseband, a pendant, and a ribbed suspension bow. It is stamped internally with English 18K gold hallmarks, maker’s mark JH, and matching serial number.
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Diameter: 47 mm
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Weight: 83.5 g
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Signed: Jn. Helsby, Liverpool
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John Helsby was an accomplished watchmaker operating in Liverpool during the early 19th century, a golden era when the city was celebrated as a premier global hub for precision horology and mechanical innovation. Liverpool makers were famous for their mastery of the English lever escapement and their ability to house high grade movements in opulent, heavy gold cases. This timepiece represents the pinnacle of Georgian decorative taste. It combines a robust, high precision fusee movement with a luxurious tricoloured gold dial. Tricoloured gold dials featuring hand soldered floral appliqués in green, rose, and yellow gold were highly labour intensive luxury items reserved for top tier presentation watches. The matching serial numbers across both the movement and the solid 18K gold case confirm this watch remains in outstanding, entirely original collector’s condition.