Watch and key 19th century

This is C. Jeanjacquet's watch and key. Within its circular form, the watch face is divided into three distinct dials, crowned by an idyllic landscape. Consider the circle, a symbol resonating through epochs. From ancient sun discs representing divinity to the Ouroboros, the snake eating its tail, signifying eternity, the circle embodies wholeness. The watch's circular form may evoke this sense of cosmic unity, inviting contemplation on the cyclical nature of time itself. Yet, time, once perceived as an endless, undulating river, has been fragmented into measured units. The dials, reminiscent of the Moirae’s spinning wheel of destiny, now quantify our fleeting existence. This attempt to master time, to dissect and dominate it, reflects our deep-seated anxieties about mortality. The landscape above the dials offers a contrast, whispering of nature's enduring rhythms. Though civilization seeks to quantify and control, the landscape endures, a timeless reminder of the natural order. It is a poignant reflection on the human condition—a constant negotiation between the finite and the infinite.