Enameled Gold Pendant Watch
anonymous French goldsmith-clockmaker, ca. 1600
reproductioncc0-museumrights: pending
A rock-crystal jewel that opens to tell time, enameled in translucent vines and hung at the breast.
Why it matters
Around 1600 a watch was less a machine than a wearable marvel - the goldsmith outranking the mechanic.
Notice
The translucent enamel is laid over engraved gold, so the light seems to rise from beneath the leaves.
Meaning
The first watches were made to be admired, not obeyed.
Source
Rijksmuseum, Amsterdam, object BK-17078 (open access, Public Domain Mark 1.0) view source ↗
Material
gold, enamel, colored-stone
Rights: PENDING. A named source is not the same as registry clearance. Basis on file: PD-museum-openaccess. Shown for this preview only; not offered for sale.
The Goldsmiths