Watch with Two Women and a Child c. 1760 - 1770

Editor: Here we have "Watch with Two Women and a Child" crafted around 1760-1770 by Ferdinand Berthoud, using gold and metal. It strikes me as intensely ornamental; it feels like such an intimate luxury object. How do you interpret the watch beyond its decorative qualities? Curator: I see this piece as a powerful emblem of the Rococo era’s complex social tapestry. We tend to admire the craftsmanship and materials without interrogating the world that produced it. How do you think the concept of time itself might be altered, or perhaps even weaponized, depending on who possesses a luxury item like this? Editor: That’s interesting, I hadn't considered that. You mean like, this kind of watch would only be available to a specific class? Curator: Precisely. The possession and precise measurement of time weren't universally accessible then, right? While the aristocracy regulated their lives with clocks and calendars, dictating the pace of work and leisure, what realities were imposed upon laborers who lacked that access? The watch isn't merely a beautiful object; it signifies control, privilege, and the social stratification of 18th-century society. Do you notice the pastoral scene? Editor: Yes, it feels so…contained. Like a miniature, idealized world. Curator: Exactly. It reflects a longing for a simplified, perhaps fantasized, rural life even as it actively participated in and benefited from an increasingly complex economic system that made rural living much more difficult. And think about the figures depicted– are they owners, admirers, consumers…? Editor: I’m seeing a darker edge to it now. The watch represents this power dynamic. I'll never see these objects the same way. Curator: I hope not! Objects carry silent stories that whisper of history, privilege, and power.