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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watch · Londres

Montre ronde émaillée

Verified

The case-back has an enamel painting of a biblical scene, Jephthah's Vow, inspired by an engraving from the Icones Biblicae (Strasbourg, 1625), by Matthäus Merian (1593-1650). This judge from ancient Israel made the extremely imprudent vow of offering God a sacrifice of the first person who greeted him after his victories over the Ammonites: it turned out to be his only daughter.

Technical facts

Inventory number
MIH I-1219
Object type
Pocket watch
Place of production
Londres
Dating
1640 - 1720
Materials and techniques (catalogue wording)
or, émail, laiton doré
Dimensions (catalogue)
dimensions min/max: 46 x 50 mm
Inscriptions (catalogue)
T. Brown (Mouvement)

Historical significance

  • The case-back has an enamel painting of a biblical scene, Jephthah's Vow, inspired by an engraving from the Icones Biblicae (Strasbourg, 1625), by Matthäus Merian (1593-1650). This judge from ancient Israel made the extremely imprudent vow of offering God a sacrifice of the first person who greeted him after his victories over the Ammonites: it turned out to be his only daughter.
  • The white enamel dial is painted with Roman numerals for the hours and Arabic numerals for the minutes.
  • The movement, which was made at a later period than the case, has a verge escapement and a fusee with chain. The single-footed balance cock and the regulating dial bridge are pierced and engraved with scrolls.
  • The case band and the counter-enamel are painted with decorations similar to those of another watch preserved at the MIH, depicting The Construction of the Tower of Babel (Inv. I-1331), possibly indicating the same provenance.

Photographs

Montre ronde émaillée (MIH I-1219)
Montre ronde émaillée (MIH I-1219) — Musée international d'horlogerie, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Museum collection photograph, rights review pending. MIH collection record
Montre ronde émaillée (MIH I-1219)
Montre ronde émaillée (MIH I-1219) — Musée international d'horlogerie, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Museum collection photograph, rights review pending. MIH collection record
Montre ronde émaillée (MIH I-1219)
Montre ronde émaillée (MIH I-1219) — Musée international d'horlogerie, La Chaux-de-Fonds, Museum collection photograph, rights review pending. MIH collection record

Photographs are illustrative examples of the type, not necessarily the exact object described. Verify details against the source file page.

Sources & references

  1. Musée international d'horlogerie, online collection record, inv. I-1219: https://collection.mih.ch/fr/collection/item/36639/

Where sources disagree, the disagreement is stated rather than resolved silently.