Watch
ca. 1835
Medium
Gold, niello, silver
Dimensions
Diameter: 1 3/8 in. (3.5 cm)
Classification
Horology
Culture
Swiss, La Chaux-de-Fonds
Department
European Sculpture and Decorative Arts
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Anonymous Gift, in memory of Lady May Fletcher-Moulton, 1926
Accession Number
26.267.98
Tags
Art Historical Context
This exquisite gold pocket watch, crafted around 1835 by Swiss watchmaker Frederick Courvoisier of La Chaux-de-Fonds, exemplifies the pinnacle of 19th-century horology. Measuring just 1⅜ inches in diameter, its diminutive size belies the masterful precision required for such timepieces, which were possessions among Europe's elite. Adorned with delicate floral and leafy motifs in niello—a technique involving black metallic alloys fused into engraved silver or gold for striking contrast—the watch blends functionality with ornamental elegance. La Chaux-de-Fonds, nestled in the Swiss Jura Mountai...