This watch is virtually identical with the cylinder watches made by George Graham from before 1730. The solid engraved cock foot and the large diamond endstone are also distinctive Graham features. It is probable that Cox ?copied? an earlier watch by Graham. This is a rare example of a watch by Cox for the English market. James Cox (circa 1723 - 1800). Born in London around 1723, he became Free in 1745, at which time he was described as a goldsmith. Cox also called himself a "jeweller". In December 1745, he married Elizabeth Liron. In June of that same year he had set up shop in Racquet Court, where he remained until 1756. An elaborate trade card has survived from this period; with a text in English, French, and German, it offers a "Great Variety of Curious Work in Gold, Silver, and other Metalls: also in Amber, Pearl, Tortoiseshell and Curious Stones". In 1756 Cox entered into a partnership with Edward Grace and moved to Shoe Lane. Cox & Grace declared bankruptcy in November 1758. The list of their stock, which was advertised for sale in 1760, was said to comprise "things in the jeweling and toy business suitable both for foreign and home trade". The Cox & Grace bankruptcy did not stop Cox from advancing; he retained the premises in Shoe Lane and continued working. In July 1763, his bankruptcy proceedings terminated with his discharge. During the 1760s and early 1770s Cox became famous for elaborate and luxurious musical and automaton clocks and watches, destined for the Ottoman, Indian and Chinese empires, and especially for the court of the Chinese Emperor himself. A "notice of two curious Clocks" appeared in the Gentleman?s Magazine of December 1766. During this period, and until 1773, Cox's chief "mechanic" was a brillant Belgian, John Joseph Merlin (1735-1803), who is considered to have been Cox?s "right hand man". Pieces signed by Cox which can be securely dated to before 1773, may been designed or even made by Merlin. Later, many clock, watch,and singing bird movements were made for Cox by the Jaquet Droz firm. Cox held two sales of items from his stock at Christie's, in July and December 1772. In addition, early that same year he had opened his mechanical museum in the Great Room at Spring Gardens. For the three years of its existence, "Cox?s Museum" - with its astonishingly high entrance fee of half a guinea - was the talk of London. The firm of Cox & Son vacated a portion of the Shoe Lane premises in 1794 and gave up their main shop in 1797. James Cox died in Watford in early 1800 and was buried in the family vault in London's Bunhill Fields on February 26 of that year. We are indebted to Roger Smith for information contained in his article "James Cox (c.1723-1800): a revised biography", Burlington Magazine, June 2000. Also see Clare Le Corbeiller, James Cox: A biographical Review, Burlington Magazine, June 1970, v. 112 (May-Aug. 1970), p. 351-358.