Hexagonal Pear-Shaped” Ilbery

“Hexagonal Pear-Shaped” Ilbery, London, No. 6124, made for the Chinese market, circa 1800. Very fine and magnificent gold, pearl, enamel, moss agate and agate-set hexagonal pear-shaped pocket watch with center seconds and duplex escapement Three-body, elongated hexagonal, bezel decorated with translucent red enamel with black borders, pendant,bow and finial at 6 similarly decorated, sprung and hinged back cover released by a catch in the pendant and withpearl set border, the case body set throughout with moss agate and various hues of striated agate ranging fromamber to deep orange set within a gold framework. White enamel, radial Roman numerals, outer minute trackwith Arabic quarter hour markers. Pierced gold hands. 41 mm, gilt, Chinese caliber, chased and engraved withflowers and scrolls, standing barrel, duplex escapement, flat-rim polished five-arm steel balance wheel with bluedsteel flat balance-spring, diamond endstone, index regulator.Movement signed.Dim. 106 x 65 mm overall. Notes Dendritic agate, more commonly known as "moss agate", is chalcedony containing visible impurities in the form of dendrite shapes that resemble moss. Pieces with a good "moss" formation are highly regarded. This watch is a wonder-ful example of the combined talents of the watchmaker, jeweler and lapidary. The present watch is one of the extremely rare, unusually shaped watches set with dendritic agates made by Ilbery for the Chinese market. Their rich decoration and fanciful shapes