Escapement Watch c. 1777

Jean Antoine Lépine crafted this escapement watch, an object brimming with cultural significance. In its face, Roman numerals mark the passage of time, a convention dating back to antiquity. Consider, however, the dance of the hands, forever circling, like celestial bodies in an eternal, cosmic ballet. This notion of cyclical time echoes in ancient myths, where gods and heroes are bound to the rhythms of the universe. The delicate floral ornaments around the maker's name recall the 'horror vacui' of medieval manuscripts, filling every space with symbolic life. The watch, as a symbol of human dominion over time, also carries a latent anxiety. From the memento mori of the Renaissance to the ticking clocks in Surrealist paintings, time's relentless march has been depicted as a force both guiding and crushing humanity. Thus, Lépine’s watch becomes more than a mere instrument; it encapsulates our complex, ongoing dialogue with time itself.