English duplex watch made for the Chinese market Circa 1820

Gold and enamel watch of museum quality by Ilbery
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An English 18K gold, enamel and half pearl-set open faced duplex pocket watch made for the Chinese market, circa 1820. The enamelling is attributed to Jean-Francois-Victor Dupont, Geneva.
Both sides of the pendant, stem, bow and both bezels are embellished with split pearls, the case back is decorated with a polychrome enamel scene surrounded by a champlevé frame of flowers and leaves in opaque black and translucent red and green enamel, the miniature shows two youngsters feeding a rooster in a cage. White enamel dial with Roman hours, outer minute divisions, subsidiary seconds and gold hands. Gilt florally engraved bridge movement according to Lépine, standing barrel, duplex escapement, five-arm steel balance, key-wound.
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Diameter: 57 mm
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Weight: 139 g
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Signed: Ilbery London
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William Ilbery (circa 1760-1839) began working in London’s Goswell Street in 1780 and moved to Duncan Terrace later. Influenced by the examples of James Cox in London and Pierre Jaquet-Droz in Switzerland, Ilbery specialized in producing luxury watches for the Chinese Market. At first, he very much adhered to the traditional English style with its full plate movement and duplex escapement. For later movements, Ilbery took his inspiration from the Lépine calibre with a free-standing barrel, as did Jaquet-Droz with the watches he signed in London and William Anthony in London. Ilbery had the cases of his watches exquisitely decorated by the best enamellers from Geneva such as Jean-Francois-Victor Dupont or Jean-Louis Richter. William Ilbery initiated the production of opulently engraved movements for the Asian market in Fleurier in Switzerland, other makers in Fleurier such as Bovet and Juvet followed his example. Ilbery should therefore be considered one of the most renowned makers of the so-called “Chinese watches”. Although he worked mainly in London, Ilbery kept in close contact with the trade in other countries, a watch signed “Ilbery Paris” is known and Ilbery & Son are recorded in London and Fleurier as well as in Canton.
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Jean-Francois-Victor Dupont (1785-1863) worked in Geneva and can be considered the finest enamel painter of his time. His work includes portraits of the most distinguished figures such as King George IV, Henry VI and many others. Dupont also created boxes and watches which were destined for the Chinese Market in particular. For these watches, he cooperated with Ilbery as well as with Piguet & Meylan. He used a most distinctive colour range which is most likely due to the fact that he mixed his own colours, as did most of the master enamel painters. Dupont’s ability to paint a group of figures posed in the same plane without giving an impression of overcrowding stands out in his works. He also highlighted the expression of the characters in a particular way which gives the viewer the impression that he is involved in the scene himself. Dupont frequently only signed what he considered his best works, which is probably the reason for the fact that only very few watches with enamel paintings are known to bear his signature.