English gilded coach watch for the Chinese market Circa 1785

Gilded cylinder pair cased coach watch
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A very fine and rare English large gilded and paste-set pair cased two train quarter striking centre seconds cylinder coach watch with a stop-watch feature, a fifth of a second jumping hand and lunar calendar made for the Chinese market, circa 1785. Accompanied by a fitted morocco box and winding key. The outer case: florally pierced and engraved bezel and case back, the edge of the bezel with alternating red and white faceted paste stones. The inner case is also pierced and engraved with flowers and foliage. Gilt dust cover.
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Eccentric, white enamel dial, radial Roman numerals, outer Arabic minutes, centre seconds with outer seconds ring and Arabic five-second numerals, two subsidiary dials for the lunar calendar with moon age indication and strike/silent, small subsidiary fifth second jumping hand, gold beetle & poker hands. Fire-gilded full plate movement, fully foliate engraved, English gilded cock pierced and engraved with foliage, fuse and chain for both trains, cylinder escapement, plain steel balance, flat balance spring, over banking pin on the body of the cylinder staff, diamond endstone, small hack lever at the edge, striking with two hammers on a bell in the back of the case. Movement and dust cap signed.
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Diameter: 109 mm
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Signed: John Bittleston London
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Quarter-striking coach watches are very rare. This example was made for the Chinese market and has a seconds stop function as well as jumping fifths of seconds or diablotine.
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The feature known as a diablotine is a small subsidiary dial on a chronograph or independent centre seconds pocket watch, the hand of which moves in a jumping manner at intervals of 1/4 or 1/5th of a second. The term literally means ‘little devil’. The diablotine is halted when the chronograph or centre seconds is stopped and the fractions of a second can be read.