The Vault: A Pocket Watch by George Prior

For over three generations the Prior name has been held in high esteem in the world of watchmaking. The brand existed for approximately 113 years from the late 18th century to the mid 19th century. George Prior became well regarded for the high quality of his timepieces but was a visionary in the way he expanded his trade into the Ottoman Empire. George Prior’s sharp business mind would turn his enterprise into a watchmaking dynasty that would make the name Prior synonymous with quality in the international watchmaking trade.

Early Life

George Prior was born in England on the 2nd of March 1735 to George Prior of Kilton and Joane Hare of Thurlbear. He was apprenticed in the trade of watchmaking under his uncle Thomas Prior, whose business was located at Prescot Street, Goodman’s Fields, London. George inherited the business in 1763 after the death of his uncle and is advertised across local directories of the time, as a watchmaker. In 1769, George Prior married Mary Hulbert and they would go on to have five daughters and five sons. Two of their sons, George Prior and Edward Prior, would carry on the George Prior watchmaking brand well into the mid 19th century.

Pocket Watches for the Ottoman Empire

During the Renaissance trade routes between Europe and the Ottoman Empire opened and became important economical connections. By the 18th century the quality of English clocks and timepieces had become recognised, becoming an important export commodity for Europe. “In the long eighteenth century, clocks and watches were systematically imported from England or the European Continent to the Ottoman Empire and became very popular in that domain, which at the time occupied a vast area including most of South-Eastern Europe, Asia Minor, the Middle East and North Africa” (Source 1). Clocks and watches made for this market featured Ottoman numerals and Arabic script, which is a direct way to identify items made specifically for trade. The products made for this market ranged from high grade tabletop clocks and pocket watches, produced in precious metals and made for a luxury market, to lower-grade items produced in base metals, for the mass market. The diversification of items produced for this market is an example of the effects caused by an emerging middle class. In his essay ‘Novel and Desirable Technology: Pocket Watches for the Ottoman Market’ author, Artemis Yagou, theorises that the watches such as those imported by George Prior, are examples of the emergence of popular luxury in the Ottoman Empire. “For Muslims, it was necessary to know the precise time for the daily prayers; time measurement followed the traditional Islamic alaturka system, which had sunset and sunrise as points of reference, and was calculated and coordinated by special functionaries of the religious educated class” (Source 1). Understanding these social and religious environments, not only helps to identify the design aesthetics of the items but further contextualises the demand for them.

Not only did Prior’s pocket watches meet the demand created by this new market, but they were held in high esteem. “His watches were highly regarded, to the extent that the Turkish word for a good pocket watch was Piryol, a corruption of his name in Turkish” (Source 2). The commercial success of Prior’s business dealings was apparent in his personal acquisitions, in 1775 he purchased the home estate of Halse and inherited the title of Esquire. He also purchased the manor house, the Lawn at Sydenham, in 1787. George Prior was successful on the Ottoman market to the point of it becoming proverbial. Prior was clever in the way he serviced both markets whilst also being mindful of his reputation and brand. For the lower grade pocket watches he used the name George Charles on the dial, as a distinction to the well-known George Prior brand. George Prior worked with agents in Turkey to determine the popular designs for the foreign market. Designs using mythological or figural scenes were rare, as it was against Islamic tradition. The watches for the Turkish market “were also distinguished from those for the English market, not only by the Turkish numerals on the dial, but by having thicker and more ornamented case rims. On the few occasions when Prior sought variations on this theme, he was invariably rebuked by his agents, as these were not liked by the Turkish customers” (Source 1).

The pocket watches

George Prior produced a wide range of “onion watches”, or montres oignons, which consisted of two- or three-layered protective cases. The outer case was commonly crafted from tortoiseshell or precious metals and sometimes inlayed with leather. The cases would feature elaborate ornamentation, such as the embossed Arabesque designs in silver, as featured in the piece from The Kalmar Vault collection. These cases were pair cases, and the pocket watch can lift out from the outer casing during use. In the later Victorian era these pair cases would be replaced with the design of the hunter case, which would offer the pocket watch face protection, whilst not having to separate from the case. The watch dials bear Ottoman numerals and elaborate enamel work. The movement is a fusée verge escapement type and features a diamond end stone on the balance staff. The movement is signed George Prior and numbered 9801, dating the pocket watch to 1798. “As the numbering of the movements and silver cases of watches was demanded by [English] law, the absence of numbering is a strong indication of forgery” (Source 1). Due to the proverbial nature of the George Prior brand, many forgeries were produced and sold on the foreign market.

Legacy

George Prior had acquired the freedom of the of the Levant Company in 1784, which allowed him to trade in his own right with the Ottoman Empire. His professional title across directories would be adjusted to Watchmaker and ‘Turkey merchant’ to represent this liberty. His first son, also named George Prior, would become involved in the company and would work for the merchant Morier in Constantinople. George Prior the younger would acquire his own freedom of the Levant Company in 1794. A year later his father would pass away and be buried in Constantinople. The business would be carried on by George Prior the younger, and his brother Edward Prior. They would continue to produce pocket watches for the Ottoman market. Edward Prior, although listed as a ‘Turkey merchant’ as opposed to a watchmaker, would continue the manufacture of watches, and any pocket watches with Edward Prior on the dial were produced during his time. In some of the Edward Prior pocket watches a secret signature can sometimes be found within the movement. “The cock is pierced in rococo style with the plants springing in most cases from an urn. The initials E P may be made out from the intertwining plants. This is often found on watches made for the Turkish market as a sort of secret signature that, while allowing for the watchmaker to recognise the movement as his own, preserved the integrity of his work intact” (Source 2).

This pocket watch by George Prior is on permanent display in The Kalmar Vault Collection.

Sources:

1. Yagou, Artemis 2019. ‘Novel and desirable technology: Pocket watches for the Ottoman market (Late 18th- early 19th century’; ICON: Journal of the International Committee for the History of Technology. Volume 24. Page 78-107.
2. Petrucci, Luigi 2022. ‘The Priors: a successful British watch brand for the Ottoman market’; Antiquarian Horological Society. Page 214-221.
3. Baillie, G.H 1947. ‘Watchmakers & clockmakers of the world’; NAG Press Ltd. Volume 1. London.