Clock watch

Case and Dial Construction

The watch features a circular gilded brass case designed with an integral hinged cover. This cover is decorated with a complex, pierced foliate design that enables the viewer to see the chapter ring beneath it even when the watch is closed. The dial itself is also made of gilded brass and is engraved with a sequence of Roman numerals marking the hours.

A single blued steel hand is centrally mounted to display the time. The perimeter of the case, as well as the surfaces of both the hinged cover and the back, are finished with intricate scrollwork engravings that cover the gilded brass surfaces.

The overall diameter of the watch case measures 2 inches, while the internal back plate has a recorded diameter of 1 5/8 inches.

Movement and Attribution

The movement of the clock watch is constructed from a combination of gilded brass and iron. The piece is attributed to the Flemish maker Michael Nouwen, also referred to as Nouen. Nouwen was an active clockmaker in London during the early seventeenth century, with his documented period of activity spanning approximately 1600 to 1610, preceding his death in 1613.

Attribution remains linked to the record provided by The Metropolitan Museum of Art. The movement is understood to be consistent with the technical production of this era, though specific escapement details are not provided within the museum's summary documentation.

Provenance and Documentation

The object is currently held within the European Sculpture and Decorative Arts department at The Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It was acquired by the institution as part of a gift from J. Pierpont Morgan in 1917, receiving the accession number 17.190.1549.

The record is categorized as a clock watch. While the museum documentation identifies the piece by its maker, date, and physical dimensions, the museum notes that these details represent this specific object and acknowledges that further independent verification against broader horological references might be required to confirm the object's classification within the wider context of seventeenth-century clockmaking.