English buckle watch made for the Chinese market Circa 1790

Gilt brass  silver enamel and paste set buckle watch
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An exceptionally rare English gilt brass, silver, enamel and paste set belt buckle fitted with a watch, circa 1790. Accompanied by the original pair of matching shoe buckles set with hair and cut work three dimensional flower panels. Made for the Chinese market.
An oval, centered with the watch, translucent royal blue enamel panel on each side set with three colourless pastes, further entirely set with colourless and ruby coloured pastes in silver mounts, polished gilt bezel and back and two gilt loops for the belt. The shoe buckles: each matching the belt buckle and set with a central very finely made three dimensional flower spray made from cut fabric, gold wire and hair, royal blue guilloche enamel background and domed glass covers.
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White enamel dial, Arabic numerals, outer minute and seconds divisions with five minute star indexes and pierced gold hands. A frosted gilt, full plate movement with cylindrical pillars, fusée and chain, verge escapement, three arm steel balance with flat balance spring, finely pierced and engraved single footed cock and a silver regulation dial.
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Dimensions: 92 x 65 mm
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Signed: No name
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It is almost unknown whether the original shoe buckles remain with a belt buckle watch as a complete set an extraordinary survival from the 18th century. The condition of the present collection is also exceptional. The extremely high quality of the workmanship is worth examining, the central flower panels of the shoe buckles are exquisitely crafted from cut and painted fabric with hair work and bead details. These panels would have been made by the craftsmen who worked as framers and hair work artists for miniaturists. Paste stones during the 18th century were regarded as desirable in their own right as jewels and sets such as this would have been very expensive to buy. As with many exotic clocks and watches for the Chinese market, they were made in London specifically for export. Pieces either made in London or in Switzerland and retailed with a London name had an extra cachet for Chinese buyers and therefore could be sold at a higher price.