Clock watch

Maker: Movement by Michael Nouwen, or Nouen (Flemish, active London, ca. 1600–10, died 1613)

Date: ca. 1600–1610

Culture: British, London

Medium: Case: gilded brass; Dial: gilded brass with a blued steel hand; Movement: gilded brass and iron

Dimensions: Diameter: 1 7/8 in. (4.8 cm)

Classification: Horology

Credit Line: Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917

Accession Number: 17.190.1549

Description

Clock watches are early watches that strike the hours like a clock. They typically have pierced cases so one could hear the striking of the bell, which is attached to the inside of the case. The intricate piercing and engraving of the metalwork makes this watch as much a piece of jewelry or a display piece as it is a timekeeper. Watches of the period, though nearly always technically cutting-edge, were far from accurate and lacked a minute hand.

Related