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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watch · Pair-case watch

Pair-case watch by Jacob Hasius

Partially verified

This pair-case watch is attributed to the Dutch watchmaker Jacob Hasius (1659–1747), an Amsterdam-based maker. Recorded by the Metropolitan Museum of Art as dating to approximately 1695, the object is constructed from silver, with the outer and inner cases composed of this metal. The dial incorporates both silver and gilded brass components. The total diameter of the watch is 2 1/4 inches (5.7 cm). The design features a semi-circular display area on the dial, and the arrangement includes ornate, engraved metalwork around the central portion of the face. The watch is currently held in the European Sculpture and Decorative Arts department of the Metropolitan Museum of Art under the accession numbers 17.190.1499a and 17.190.1499b. Documentation notes the watchmaker's recorded activity in 1704. Further study is required to verify the maker's full history and the specific mechanical features of the movement.

Pair-case watch by Jacob Hasius.
Pair-case watch by Jacob Hasius. — The Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
orbiscollectibles.com
Category
Pocket watch · Pair-case watch
Maker / attribution
Jacob Hasluck
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
17.190.1499a, b
Source-reported date
ca. 1695
Source-reported place
Dutch, Amsterdam

Source-reported attribution and specifications are not independent authentication. A listing does not establish present ownership, current display, availability or permission to reproduce.

Object description

Construction and Materials

Both the inner and outer cases are fabricated from silver. The dial assembly utilizes a combination of silver and gilded brass, indicating a decorative approach to the internal face of the timepiece.

The dimensions of the object are explicitly recorded as having a diameter of 2 1/4 inches, equivalent to 5.7 centimeters. These measurements refer to the assembled pair-case unit.

Evidence for this section
  • “Outer and inner case: silver; Dial: silver, gilded brass”
  • “Diameter: 2 1/4 in. (5.7 cm)”

Maker and Attribution

The object is attributed to the watchmaker Jacob Hasius. Biographical information provided by the institution suggests a birth year around 1659 and a death year of 1747. Records indicate that Hasius was active in Amsterdam, with specific mention of him being recorded in 1704.

The attribution remains linked to the provenance of the Metropolitan Museum of Art's collection. While associated with the Dutch school of watchmaking of the late 17th century, formal horological cataloguing of the specific mechanical movement type remains to be completed.

Evidence for this section
  • “Watchmaker: Jacob Hasius (Dutch, 1659?–1747, recorded 1704)”
  • “from Dutch, Amsterdam”

Provenance and Collection

The watch is held by the Metropolitan Museum of Art in New York. It is catalogued under the accession numbers 17.190.1499a and 17.190.1499b. This object entered the museum's holdings as part of the Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan in 1917.

The item is assigned to the museum's Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts. The current status of the object is categorized as a pair-case watch, and it is part of the institution's open access collection.

Evidence for this section
  • “The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds this object as 17.190.1499a, b”
  • “Gift of J. Pierpont Morgan, 1917”

Open research questions

  • What type of escapement is fitted within the 17.190.1499a movement?
  • Does the semicircular dial aperture indicate a specific astronomical or calendar function?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Pair-case watch by Jacob Hasius
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
MakerJacob Hasius“Watchmaker: Jacob Hasius (Dutch, 1659?–1747, recorded 1704)”
Dateca. 1695“dated ca. 1695”
LocationAmsterdam, Netherlands“from Dutch, Amsterdam”
MaterialsSilver and gilded brass“Outer and inner case: silver; Dial: silver, gilded brass”
Diameter2 1/4 in. (5.7 cm)“Diameter: 2 1/4 in. (5.7 cm)”
Accession Number17.190.1499a, b“17.190.1499a, b”

Visible details

  • The dial includes a semicircular aperture.
  • Ornate engraved metalwork is present on the lower half of the dial.
  • The outer case appears to be a protective shell for the inner unit.

Research qualifications

  • The maker attribution is based on museum records and may require further horological validation.
  • The dating to circa 1695 is an approximate assignment by the holding institution.

Photograph identity and source facts were screened before import; rights clearance remains pending.

Consulted source

Pair-case watch by Jacob Hasius, Dutch, Amsterdam, ca. 1695

Reviewed 2026-11-02 · Record c49ff5ceab

Terms in this record

Glossary explanations for terms named in this object’s record.

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