Lot 261

Georges/Edward Prior

A collection of 6 verge pocket watches
A fine quadruple verge pocket watch for the Ottoman market

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Movement as well as case design of these watches intended for the Turkish market were already outmoded in 1842 - and even more so in later years; nevertheless Edward Prior and some of his contemporaries such as George Prior (II), George Charle, Markwick Markham-Perigal and Isaac Rogers specialized on this type of watch because there was a ongoing demand for them on the Turkish market - be it from tradition or from a true love of the elaborately ornamented movements and cases. It is quite possible that many of these watches - the one we have here is among them - never even left England, because their exotic beauty had its devotees in their own country too. Very often these buyers kept the watch safely in a drawer like jewellery, which explains the excellent of some of these marvellous pieces - as it is the case with our watch.

George Prior was the son of John Prior of Nessfield, also a clock-maker, was a leading London maker of watches for the Turkish and Islamic markets, in association with Edward Prior, who was perhaps his brother. One two occasions he received an award from the Society of Arts for his productions.
Edward Prior (c. 1800-1868) was a renowned watch- and clockmaker working in London. He evidently specialised in designs for the Turkish market - this is substantiated by the fact that he produced timepieces with multiple cases, which were particularly popular in Turkey at the time.