Watch 1835 - 1855

This watch, crafted by the Firm of D. Bachelard et Fils, bears an engraving of the Colosseum. This emblem of ancient Rome carries echoes of power, spectacle, and the sweep of history. But what does it mean on a watch? Does it simply mark a destination, a grand tour memento? Or does it delve deeper? Think of the Colosseum's presence in Piranesi's prints, a melancholic ruin, a testament to time's relentless march. The Colosseum motif carries a potent emotional charge, the grandeur of the past weighed against present reality. Like a recurring dream, it surfaces in art across centuries, each time colored by the anxieties and aspirations of a new era. The image resurfaces, evolves, and takes on new meanings in different historical contexts.