English gilt pair cased coach clock with enamel painting Circa 1780

Important coach clock with enamel painting
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A important coach clock with enamel painting, made for the Chinese market by Timothy Williamson in London, England, circa 1780. The open faced case of this watch is crafted from gilt and is pair cased and the back has a painting of a lady in perfect condition. The white enamel dial enamel dial has Arabic five minute and Arabic hour numerals and exceptionally beautiful original gold hands. The numbered movement has a verge escapement of fantastic quality, a diamond end stone, magnificent decorations and stoppable center seconds.
The movement is signed.
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Diameter: 96 mm
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Weight: 490 g
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Signed: Timothy Williamson, London
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The representation on the painting is probably Sultana Roxelane. A Russian slave, she entered the harem of Topkapi Palace, then rose first to become an imperial concubine and eventually one of the most powerful woman in the Ottoman Empire. The archives at Topkapi Palace house a wealth of documents written down by Ottoman court historians and illustrated by miniature painters. She was the first woman who married a sultan legally and had unlimited control over her husband Sultan Suleyman the Magnificent.
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In Britten’s book Old Clocks and Watches and Their Makers, Timothy Williamson is listed as working in London from 1769 to 1788. First in Fleet Street and later in Great Russell Street (source Dr Crott). He also supplied the Emperor of China, among others. An almost matching watch with an enamel portrait is in the British Museum.
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The watch comes from one of the most important German pocket watch collections.