English complex coach clock for the Chinese market Circa 1775

Open faced coach clock by Timothy Williamson London
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A fine, rare and complex English gilt pair cased hour repeating coach clock with self strike and stoppable centre seconds made for the Chinese market, circa 1775. Splendid, fire gilt verge movement, self striking and repeating hours. White enamel dial with Roman hours, Arabic minutes, stoppable centre seconds and gold spade hands. Fire gilt, pierced outer case, jewels and pearls to the front, the inner case also pierced, cartouche with grotesque face, the rim with a lever to stop the centre seconds and another lever to mute the striking train and bell. Movement signed and numbered.
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Diameter: 64 mm
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Weight: 181 g
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Signed: Timothy Williamson London
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This impressive coach clock is an outstanding example of watches produced for export to China; a market Williamson was cultivating prominent relationships. Timothy Williamson was trained as a goldsmith and probably made the design and engraving of his exceptional cases on his own. The movements, however, were likely supplied by William Hughes, with whom Williamson was closely associated, as Roger Smith has made clear in an article for Antiquarian Horology. In Britten’s book, “Old Clocks and Watches and Their Makers”, Timothy Williamson operates in London from 1769 to 1788, first on Fleet Street and later on Great Russell Street. Amongst others, he also supplied the Chinese Emperor.