Watch 1835 - 1860

This is a pocket watch, made of gold, by Mermod Frères, sometime in the late nineteenth century. The watch is a potent symbol of modernization, the industrial revolution, and the rise of scientific thinking. In this period, watches became more accessible to the middle classes, and signified a new emphasis on punctuality, precision, and standardization. The gold case and intricate detailing speak to the wealth and status of the owner, and the watchmaker's name – Vacheron & Constantin – serves as a brand, an early form of advertising. The inscription "a Geneve" tells us that the watch was made in Switzerland, a center of watchmaking excellence. The watch is a physical embodiment of social change, a symbol of a world where time is money, and where the rhythms of life are increasingly dictated by the clock. To understand this object fully, we need to research the history of watchmaking, the social history of time, and the culture of consumption in the late nineteenth century. This will reveal the watch as more than just a timekeeping device, but as a cultural artifact that reflects the values and anxieties of its time.