July, 19 10 



AMERICAN HOMES AND GARDENS 



277 



and it was a hobby with some of them to own a 

 peculiarly beautiful or original timepiece. Their 

 tastes ran in different directions, some preferring 

 decorations in which mythological or biblical subjects 

 were portrayed, others historical pictures, others alle- 

 gorical or purely ornamental designs, while still others, 

 and their number was not as great, were satisfied later on 

 with a comparatively plain case, but wanted works of elabo- 

 rate finish, or embodying unique features, such as mechani- 

 cal and musical attachments, striking and repeating works, 

 calendar and astronomical movements, etc. It must be 

 admitted that these ancient watches, however elaborate their 

 housing, were not distinguished for accuracy as time- 

 keepers, the first watches having only hour hands and no 

 such escapement as we are familiar with. A goblin strik- 

 ing against a hog-bristle, set vertically in the plate, caused 

 the reciprocal movement by which the spring action was 

 controlled. About 1660 the hair-spring, or balance-spring, 

 as a means of regulation was invented simultaneously by 

 Dr. Hooke and by Huyghens, to whom we owe the appli- 

 cation of the pendulum to the control of the escapement. 

 Until the commencement of the nineteenth century, all 

 watches had the verge escapement, and this and other fea- 

 tures of historical record, are depended upon by collectors 

 and connoisseurs, in establishing the age of a watch. Thus 

 chased watch cases were unknown until the beginning of the 

 eighteenth century, and most of them came into vogue 

 about 1750. Until about 1770, decoration in four-colored 

 gold was not known. The period of the rock crystal case 

 is from 1550 to 1650, and the finest of engraved and 

 enamel decorated watches date from this period. Soon 

 after this the minute hand was introduced, and it is found 

 quite generally in watches dating from about 1700. About 

 this time, too, the watches with pierced cases, showing deco- 

 rations in foliage and animal figures, attained their greatest 

 perfection. Handsome watches that can certainly be identi- 

 fied as belonging to either of the above periods are valu- 

 able, as are also really old watches, of the first cylindrical 

 pattern, with iron works, and all that have really artistically 

 decorated dials and cases, as well as all "egg" watches and 

 watches with finely pierced or elaborately chased cases that 

 show no wear. 



The egg watch was not the original form In which the 



pocket timepiece was made by the expert Nuremburg lock- 

 smiths, but the "Nuremburg EI" was famous throughout 

 Europe, when the watch was still a rarity. It was a skilled 

 mechanic, Charles Cusin, who carried the art of watch- 

 making to Geneva, and founded there the industry for 

 which Switzerland Is pre-eminently famous. Quite a few of 

 the specimens In the Marfels collection are of this egg 

 shape and they are all artistically and very elaborately 

 decorated. 



When, towards the close of the eighteenth century, the 

 watch disappeared altogether Into the pocket, except for 

 the few dainty specimens worn as chatelaines, lockets, etc., 

 the case lost its Importance as a work of art and became a 

 plain box, usually of gold or silver, and sometimes elabo- 

 rately chased, but no matter how costly, only a housing for 

 the works, which have advanced In accuracy and precision 

 of performance as the case has become plain and simple. 

 A few years ago the fashion of wearing a watch pinned to 

 the corsage was started among women. This naturally 

 brought about a temporary revival of the artistic in watch 

 cases and some beautiful specimens In enamel and jewelled 

 work were to be seen. But the fashion has died out, the at- 

 traction the display. In so easily accessible a place, of an ex- 

 pensive trinket had for the light-fingered fraternity, having 

 contributed to its discouragement. In the precision of Its 

 performance, however, the modern watch altogether sur- 

 passes Its more richly encased predecessor, although, when 

 attention was first bestowed more particularly on the works. 

 some of the more conspicuous parts were often elaborately 

 and curiously wrought. The balance cock and the dials and 

 hands were especially selected for this decorative work, 

 and often an Immense amount of skill and labor were ex- 

 pended on their ornamentation. 



In considering the performance of the old-time watch, 

 moreover. It must not be forgotten that everything had to 

 be fashioned by hand; that such a thing as division of labor 

 and interchangeabllity of parts, which have been brought 

 to so high a degree of perfection, especially in the Ameri- 

 can watch factories of to-day, were entirely unknown when 

 the watches In the Morgan collection were made. Every 

 part had to be made by hand, after elaborate calculations, 

 and a watchmaker, at that time, was a scientist as well as a 

 skilled mechanic. 



21— Hold enameled watch, repeater, translucent enatnel; I>on;lon, 1790. 22— Cold enameled watch, repeater, blue translucent enamel; London. 1790. 2! — Gold enameled watch, flower inlaid: Paris, 18 Centur>-. 

 24 Gold repeater, pierced work and diamond decoration; l.ondon, 18 Century. 25 — Gold open work repeater, agate mounted and precious stones studding; Loiulon, 18 Century. 26 — Gold enameled watch, repeater, 

 enameled and diamond studded; I^<ndon, ]8th Century. 27— Gold open work repeater, studded with rubies, diamonds and emeralds; London, 18 Century. 28 — Watch, mother of pearl case, gold enameled, hunting scene 

 and tournament; U>ui[<iu, 1700. 29 — Gold enameled watch, set with rubies and pearls in iridescent erjamel; Jaquct Uroz, 1800. SO — Gold enameled watch, translucent enamel and pearl studdinir; 1790. 31 — Watch in 

 zray aeate case, chased; London. 1750. 32 — Gold enameled watch, blue translucent enamel framing, female portrait; London, 1780. 



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