Forgotten landmarks in watchmaking evolution
-There have been many technological leaps forward in watchmaking, but with time the novelty of these jumps soon dampens and are forgotten as they become the new norms and standards.-
Pocket watches
During the evolution of horology and the history of watchmaking, the advent of pocket watches was a significant development. Originating from the early ‘verge’ watches, that were miniature versions of church or turret clocks, the original pocket watches were often bulbous, and their casings at one time were described as ‘onions’, partly due to the shape but also due to their multiple layers.
From the point of their emergence, in circa 1600, until wristwatches became popular after World War I, pocket watches were the most common type of timekeeper. Historically they had a chain attached, to be secured to a waistcoat, lapel, or belt loop, to prevent loss and to enable easy access.
Their social importance is demonstrated in early historical letters, that indicate how the purchase of a pocket watch is used to show off one’s wealth to other social elites. When watches were lost or stolen there were mentions of healthy ransoms being offered for the retrieval of the “lost” property. Owning such a lavish advancement in technology was important. However, horology was still in its infancy and these early watches had only one hand to indicate the time. The minute hand did not yet exist, and the second hand was pure science fiction.
The very first timepieces to be worn prior to the onions, made in 16th century Europe, were sized somewhere between table clocks and large pocket watches. These ‘clock-watches’ were fastened to clothing or worn on a chain around the neck. They were heavy, drum-shaped brass cylinders several inches in diameter, frequently engraved and ornamented. They were more a symbol of status rather than a genuine functional instrument. The dial was not covered with a protective glass, but usually had a hinged brass cover. These were often pierced with decorative grillwork so that the time could be read through the holes without opening the cover. The movement resembled that of a clock, and the piece overall was held together with pins and wedges, until after 1550 when screws began to be used. Many of the movements included striking or alarm mechanisms. The shape later evolved into a more rounded form; these were called ‘Nuremberg eggs’ and are today highly collectable. The Patek Philippe Museum in Geneva has a wide range of early watches that demonstrate the trend that developed for unusually shaped pieces: watches were made in the form of books, animals, fruit, stars, flowers, insects, crosses, and skulls.
By c.1700 men began to wear watches in pockets instead of as pendants. Waistcoats appeared, and the infant watch industry moved with the times, and watches adapted to fit into their new pocket homes. Their form evolved into the typical pocket watch shape, rounded and flattened with no sharp edges. The watch was wound and set by opening the case, fitting a key onto a square arbour, and turning it. The keys were often highly elaborate, at the British and Science Museums in London, there are multiple examples of these watches and of their keys.
By the end of the 18th century, pocket watches had become more commonplace and not the mechanical toy of only the elite. Better, cheaper methods of manufacturing now meant that pocket watches were being supplied to a larger audience, yet they still remained desirable objects.
Up to the 1720s, almost all watch movements were based on the verge form of mechanical escapement, which had been initially developed for large public clocks in the 14th century. This type of escapement involved a high degree of friction, and minimal functional jewelling. As a result, a verge watch could rarely achieve a high standard of accuracy - although there were rare exceptions. The first widely used improvement on the verge escapement was the cylinder escapement, invented by the Abbé de Hautefeuille c.1800 and used by the English watchmaker G. Graham. Later that same century, in 1759, the lever escapement was invented by Thomas Mudge; it was used by a selection of watchmakers, including J. Emery (who was Swiss, based in London) and A. L. Breguet. The lever escapement meant timekeeping precision was now within a minute per day. The lever escapement (although a far more sophisticated version than the original) is still used in the majority of mechanical watches made today.
A full hunter-case pocket watch has a case with a spring-loaded hinged circular metal cover covering the watch dial and crystal. The name originates from England, where the sport of fox hunting was commonplace at the time; these watches were commonly used by the hunters. The majority of antique and vintage hunter-case watches have the hinged covers at the 9 o’clock position and the stem, crown, and bow of the watch at the 3 o’clock position. Some more modern hunter-case pocket watches have the cover hinges at the 6 o’clock position and the stem, crown, and bow at the 12 o’clock position, as with open-face watches. In both styles, the sub-seconds dial is usually at the 6 o’clock position.
An intermediate type of case, known as the demi-hunter (or half-hunter), is a case style in which the outer lid has a small circular glass window in the centre, giving a view of the centre of the hands. The hours are marked, often in blue or black hard enamel, on the outer cover.
The very first pocket watches, since their creation until the third quarter of the 19th century, had key-wind and key-set movements. As previously mentioned, a watch key was used to wind the pocket watch and to set the time. This was done by opening the case back or bezel with crystal, which then gave access to the winding and/or setting arbour.
Today, pocket watches have virtually disappeared from the watchmaking industry. A few companies still make small numbers as a homage to their origins, but they are few and far between. Both Patek Philippe and Vacheron Constantin invested vast fortunes in the development and creation of highly complex pocket watches with large numbers of complications built within, that were more clock-like in their size but pocket watch in form, in order to promote their heritage and technical expertise.
Despite the widespread departure from the pocket watch, there remains a rich legacy of examples circulating the world, found in museums and private collections. When handled, charm and history emanate from their physical form. The pocket watch may be redundant today, but it played a significant role in the development of watchmaking.