Oval Cased Verge Watch with Alarm
Artist
Marc Beron
(French, active 17th century)
DateSecond quarter of the 17th century
CultureFrench; Angers
MediumGilded copper, brass, silver, iron, and steel
ClassificationDecorative Arts
Credit LineBequest of John Ringling, 1936
Object numberSN1436.7
In the 15th and 16th centuries, the boom in maritime exploration and advances in science and technology, such as Galileo's discovery of the properties of the pendulum, created the foundation for the invention of portable timepieces. German and French watchmakers initiated the trend, creating small, decorative pocket watches worn on a chain around the neck or suspended from the belt. Cases were pierced in elaborate patterns to allow the wearer to hear the striking of the movement, and covers were often made of rock crystal to allow the dial to be seen without the case being opened. The saddle watch is molded into an oval shape, a popular design in the early 17th century. In subsequent decades, faceted or lobed crystal shapes came into vogue, as illustrated by the cruciform pendant watch. Ringling acquired his collection of elaborately ornamented timepieces when he purchased the Émile Gavet collection from Alva Vanderbilt Belmont in 1928.
On View
On viewLocation
- Museum of Art, Gallery 03, Case Left
Collections
Object/Object
