Repeating watch
late 18th century
Medium
Gold, enamel, pearls, sparks
Dimensions
Diameter: 2 1/4 in. (5.7 cm)
Classification
Horology
Culture
Swiss
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Bequest of Laura Frances Hearn, 1917
Accession Number
17.101.38
Tags
Art Historical Context
Step into the intricate world of 18th-century Swiss hor with this exquisite *Repeating watch* crafted by George Achard etils around the late 1700s. Housed in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's Sculpture and Decorative Arts, this petite timepiece—measuring just 2¼ inches in diameter—exemplifies the golden age of Geneva watchmaking, where Switzerland emerged as Europe's premier hub for luxury timekeepers. The watch's gold case is adorned with vibrant enamel scenes featuring men, women,, and spears, likely evoking pastoral or mythological narratives popular in Rococo decorative arts, enhanced by pe...