English quarter striking and repeating watch Circa 1790

Gold striking and repeating watch
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An extremely fine and rare English 18 carat multi colored gold and rose diamond set pair cased, quarter striking and repeating watch by Daniel de St. Leu, watchmaker to Her Majesty, London circa 1790, Made for the Ottoman market.
Gilt brass full plate movement, foliate engraved and with cylindrical pillars, fusee and chain, cylinder escapement, brass three arm balance, gilt brass cock pierced and engraved with scrolling foliage, diamond end stone, striking and repeating with three hammers on a bell, strike silent selection lever in the bezel.
The case back with a multi coloured gold military trophy in high relief within a polished wavy line border, pierced foliate surround, the bezel decorated to match, rose cut diamond thumb piece. Inner case, the band with pierced and chased foliage, small rosette in the center, the pendant set with a large rose cut diamond.
White enamel with radial Islamic numerals, outer minute divisions, five minute Islamic markers. Pierced gold foliate hands.
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Diameter: 52 mm
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Signed: Daniel de St. Leu London
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This watch is of the highest grade with a case of exceptional quality, it would almost certainly have been ordered for presentation by the Sultan or Pasha. The case is comparable with those on display in the Wallace Collection in London. The prestigious watches made by Daniel de St. Leu for the Islamic market are usually either quarter repeating or quarter striking. A quarter striking clockwatch train combined with an independent quarter repeating train is a most unusual feature in de St. Leu’s output. Daniel De St. Leu, this very fine maker succeeded Rivers & Son to the post of Maker to the Queen (Charlotte) in 1765.

Daniel de St. Leu originally came from Geneva and worked from 1753 to 1797; he created some of the most beautiful and complex watches of the 18th century. In 1765 he was appointed watchmaker to Queen Charlotte, wife of King George III – the fact that all of de St. Leu’s watches after this year are either signed ‘Sevt. to her Majesty’, or ‘Watch Maker to her Majesty’ is proof that he held this title for the rest of his life. De St. Leu was specialized in the production of watches for the wealthy Ottoman market, where the clientele wanted their watches to be pieces of jewellery, often in lavish gold cases with elaborate decoration and with precious stones. In the 18th century, English watches were very popular on the Ottoman market and have been exported in great numbers.

Dust cap missing