Watch

Watchmaker: François Czapek Bohemian

On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 554

size On the back cover of the case is a portrait of the Russian czar Nicholas I (r. 1825–55) in painted enamel, indicating that the watch was probably commissioned as a present to a subject in recognition of loyalty or service. The movement, with separate cocks for the train of wheels, has jeweled end stones, a lever escapement, a temperature-compensated balance wheel, and a keyless stem-winding mechanism. It is a very early example of a stem-winding movement, made by the original partner in the firm that became Patek-Philippe, still in existence in Geneva. The mechanism is the earliest practical one to have been produced in quantity. It was invented by Antoine Norbert de Patek's subsequent partner Jean-Adrien Philippe (1815–1894) and patented in 1845.

Watch, Watchmaker: François Czapek (Bohemian, 1811–before 1895), Case: partly enameled gold; Dial: white enamel with gold hands; Movement: gilded brass and steel, Swiss, Geneva

Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.

Open Access

As part of the Met's Open Access policy, you can freely copy, modify and distribute this image, even for commercial purposes.

API

Public domain data for this object can also be accessed using the Met's Open Access API.

Watch, Watchmaker: François Czapek (Bohemian, 1811–before 1895), Case: partly enameled gold; Dial: white enamel with gold hands; Movement: gilded brass and steel, Swiss, Geneva
Watch, Watchmaker: François Czapek (Bohemian, 1811–before 1895), Case: partly enameled gold; Dial: white enamel with gold hands; Movement: gilded brass and steel, Swiss, Geneva
Watch, Watchmaker: François Czapek (Bohemian, 1811–before 1895), Case: partly enameled gold; Dial: white enamel with gold hands; Movement: gilded brass and steel, Swiss, Geneva

This artwork is meant to be viewed from right to left. Scroll left to view more.