English quarter striking coach watch with calendar Circa 1785

Two train quarter striking centre seconds pair cased coach watch
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A very fine and rare large gilded brass two train, quarter striking centre seconds pair cased coach watch with fifth of a second jumping hand, day of the week calendar and lunar calendar. Accompanied by a fitted Morocco box. Made for the Chinese market by John Bittleston, London, Great Brittain, Circa 1785. Outer case: two body, the bezel and back pierced and engraved with floral decoration and central flower spay. Inner case: two body, bassine, pierced and engraved with flowers and foliage around the band and the back with engraved flower spray.
Eccentric white enamel dial with radial Roman numerals, outer Arabic minutes, centre seconds with outer seconds ring with Arabic five seconds numerals, two subsidiary dials for lunar calendar with moon’s age indication and days of the week, small subsidiary fifth second jumping hand and gold beetle and poker hands. Fire gilded and full plate movement with fully foliate engraved, English gilded cock finely pierced and engraved with foliage and a mask, fuse and chain for both trains, cylinder escapement, plain steel balance, flat balance spring, large diamond end stone, rack and pinion regulator with silvered dial, striking with two hammers on a bell in the back of the case and a strike silent lever protruding from the bezel.
Movement signed.
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Diameter: 108 mm
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Signed: John Bittleston, London
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Quarter-striking coach watches are very rare. This example was made for the Chinese market and has jumping fifths of seconds, or ‘diablotine’.