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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watch · Octagonal watch

Watch by Nicolaus Rugendas the Elder

Partially verified

This watch, held in the collection of The Metropolitan Museum of Art (accession number 17.190.1519), is attributed to the Augsburg maker Nicolaus Rugendas the Elder (1585–1658). The construction incorporates materials including lapis lazuli, rock crystal, and gilt metal. The watch measures 1 1/2 by 1 1/4 inches (3.8 by 3.2 cm). It is maintained within the museum's Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts. The object features a hinged cover with a transparent rock crystal panel, revealing a dial decorated with engraving and numeric markings. The watch is documented as a single museum object, and its broader historical classification remains subject to ongoing verification within academic horological records.

View of the watch with the hinged cover open, showing the dial and rock crystal panel.
View of the watch with the hinged cover open, showing the dial and rock crystal panel. — The Metropolitan Museum of Art. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
orbiscollectibles.com
Category
Pocket watch · Octagonal watch
Maker / attribution
Nicolaus Rugendas the Elder
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
17.190.1519
Source-reported date
ca. 1620
Source-reported place
Germany, Augsburg

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

Case and External Construction

The watch is housed in an octagonal case constructed from a combination of gilt metal and lapis lazuli. The design includes a hinged lid that features an integrated rock crystal panel, which allows the time to be read while the watch remains closed.

The gilt metal elements surrounding the dial exhibit detailed engraving, including foliate motifs that border the Roman numeral chapter ring. The use of lapis lazuli as a primary material for the case body indicates a high degree of material ornamentation.

Evidence for this section
  • “Lapis lazuli, rock crystal, gilt metal”
  • “1 1/2 × 1 1/4 in. (3.8 × 3.2 cm)”

Dial and Timekeeping

The dial displays a ring of Roman numerals indicating the hours, surrounding a smaller internal ring with further numerical markings. The central hands are fixed within this arrangement, indicating a standard display format for the era. The dial plate is finished in gilt metal and is visually enhanced by the engraved patterns that frame the outer circle.

The presence of the hinged rock crystal cover serves both a protective and aesthetic function. The visibility afforded by the crystal allows the owner to observe the dial and the hand positioning without opening the watch mechanism.

Evidence for this section
  • “Lapis lazuli, rock crystal, gilt metal”

Attribution and Institutional Documentation

This object is part of the collection at The Metropolitan Museum of Art and is catalogued under the accession number 17.190.1519. It is assigned to the Department of European Sculpture and Decorative Arts. Documentation identifies the maker as Nicolaus Rugendas the Elder, a German horologist active in Augsburg during the seventeenth century.

The dating of the watch to approximately 1620 is supported by museum records. While the piece is identified within the museum's formal catalogue, further investigation is required to ascertain its broader horological significance and to confirm the maker's attribution against external scholarly references. The record confirms the object as a single museum piece currently under institutional care.

Evidence for this section
  • “The Metropolitan Museum of Art holds this object as 17.190.1519”
  • “Watchmaker: Nicolaus Rugendas the Elder (German, 1585–1658)”

Open research questions

  • Does the internal ring on the dial represent a date function or a secondary timekeeping scale?
  • Are there specific horological archives that can verify the attribution of this specific watch to the workshop of Nicolaus Rugendas the Elder?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Watch by Nicolaus Rugendas the Elder
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
MakerNicolaus Rugendas the Elder“Watchmaker: Nicolaus Rugendas the Elder (German, 1585–1658)”
Dateca. 1620“ca. 1620”
OriginAugsburg, Germany“German, Augsburg”
MaterialsLapis lazuli, rock crystal, gilt metal“Lapis lazuli, rock crystal, gilt metal”
Dimensions3.8 x 3.2 cm“1 1/2 × 1 1/4 in. (3.8 × 3.2 cm)”
Accession Number17.190.1519“17.190.1519”

Visible details

  • Octagonal watch case with a hinged cover
  • Dial featuring Roman numerals and a secondary internal date or timing ring
  • Transparent rock crystal inset in the case cover
  • Gilt metal dial plate with engraved foliate detailing

Research qualifications

  • Attribution to Nicolaus Rugendas the Elder should be confirmed against primary horological scholarship
  • The watch's status as a representative example of a wider type requires further independent verification

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

Consulted source

Watch by Nicolaus Rugendas the Elder, German, Augsburg, ca. 1620

Reviewed 2026-11-02 · Record 9bf88206ed

Terms in this record

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

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