English gilt brass triple cased verge pocket watch Circa 1790

Gilt brass triple overcased watch for the Ottoman market
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A fine English gilt brass multi cased pocket watch made by Benjamin Barber in London for the Ottoman export market, circa 1785–1794. It has a mechanical key winding verge fusee movement with a richly engraved skeletonized balance cock, signed Benjamin Barber, London. The white enamel dial features traditional black Ottoman (Turkish) numerals for hours and minutes, an inner signature area, and elegant blued steel hands under a domed glass crystal.
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The timepiece is housed in a central gilt brass watch case with three successive protective overcases. The inner overcases have decorated rims, while the largest outermost overcase is crafted from wood, carved into the shape of a scalloped seashell. The watch is attached to a double link chain suspension cord holding an antique matching pocket watch winding key.
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Diameter: 65 mm
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Signed: Benjamin Barber, London
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The use of multiple nested overcases alongside traditional Arabic/Turkish dial indicators is characteristic of luxury English horological production designed for the prosperous Ottoman export trade.
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Benjamin Barber was a skilled 18th century English watch and clockmaker who worked from workshops in Deptford and Red Lion Street, Clerkenwell, London, between about 1780 and 1794. A respected member of the Worshipful Company of Goldsmiths, he gained renown as a specialist exporter of luxury timepieces tailored for the wealthy Ottoman markets.
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His production was characterized by high grade verge fusee movements with elaborately pierced and skeletonized balance cocks, paired with traditional Turkish or Arabic numeral dials and multi layered protective overcases made from exotic materials like tortoiseshell, silver, or carved wood. Today, his precision craftsmanship is recognized globally, with several surviving timepieces preserved in major collections, including the Victoria and Albert Museum in London.