Neoclassical English Pocket Watch “à La Liberté”

Clarke & Green, Cheapside, London, No. 426

Dated to the American War of Independence, circa 1775–1783

Gold, red guilloché enamel, and carved cameo

Provenance: private collection of Mr. François Duesberg, Mons (Belgium)

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An exceptional English pocket watch crafted in London by the watchmakers Clarke & Green, based in Cheapside, one of the historic centers of 18th-century British watchmaking.

This refined piece dates from a formative period in modern history—the American War of Independence (1775–1783)—the 250th anniversary of whose founding events is currently being commemorated through numerous international celebrations.

The gold case features a remarkable neoclassical design combining a sumptuous translucent red guilloché enamel background with a sculpted central medallion depicting a figure wearing a Phrygian cap, an ancient symbol that has gradually become one of the most powerful allegories of freedom.

The design perfectly captures the intellectual spirit of the Enlightenment that was sweeping across Europe and the Atlantic world at the time. More than just an instrument for measuring time, this watch stands as a testament to an era in which new conceptions of freedom, citizenship, and individual rights were emerging.

The movement, signed “Clarke & Green, Cheapside No. 426,” is richly engraved and openworked in the grand London watchmaking tradition of the second half of the 18th century.

The provenance of this piece further enhances its appeal. It comes from the private collection of Mr. François Duesberg, a renowned collector and founder of the François Duesberg Museum of Decorative Arts in Mons, an institution internationally recognized for the exceptional quality of its collections dedicated to the decorative arts from 1775 to 1825.

A symbol of prestige, culture, and history, this watch embodies the excellence of English watchmaking, the refinement of neoclassical taste, and the symbolic power of the ideals that shaped the modern world.

A rare piece that is particularly evocative of the final decades of the 18th century.