Watch 1750 - 1799

This watch was crafted by Abraham-Louis Bréguet, sometime between the late 18th and early 19th centuries. Encased in gold, enamel, and diamonds, it reflects the opulence and obsession with time that characterized elite society during the Enlightenment and the French Restoration. Consider the implications of such an object within the social hierarchy of the time. For whom was time a luxury, a marker of status, and for whom was it a relentless taskmaster? The intricate, ornate design speaks to a culture of excess and privilege, but what stories might it tell about the labor and resources that made such extravagance possible? The watch is not merely a functional item, but a potent symbol of power and exclusivity. It invites us to reflect on the complex relationship between time, wealth, and social identity.