Dameshorloge met translucide email waarop gouden sterren c. 1785 - 1800

This lady’s watch, made by Firma Romilly, features translucent enamel and gold stars. The pearls edging the dial are a clue to its preciousness, but the real story is in the surface decoration. The enamel isn’t just any colour, but a translucent kind, allowing light to play across the surface. The gold stars add to the effect, catching the light like distant suns. Enamelling is no easy task; powdered glass is fused to the metal base in a kiln. The watchmaker would have had to be extremely precise with their firings, as too much heat could ruin the piece. The decoration in the middle of the dial requires further firings with each new color. This watch would have been an expensive status symbol, a way for its owner to show off their wealth and taste. The skills of the watchmaker, the enameller, and the goldsmith all come together in this tiny, exquisite object. It’s a reminder that even the most functional objects can be elevated to the level of art, through the application of skill and imagination.