Watch c. 1700

Editor: This is a pocket watch by John Markwick, dating from around 1700. It’s made of silver, gold and metal and it is just so ornate! I mean, it's beautiful, but it also speaks to the incredible value placed on time, even back then. What’s striking to you about this object? Curator: Considering this watch, it is critical to acknowledge how timekeeping has shaped our culture. This isn't just about telling time; it's a statement about social standing. This watch would have belonged to someone wealthy, part of a cultural elite who could afford such an intricate object, literally buying time. Notice how it isn't merely functional. Editor: You’re right, the detail! It seems far too beautiful to just tell time. Curator: Exactly! How does its beauty complicate our understanding of time itself, or maybe even our understanding of Baroque period more broadly? We often consider it an advancement when technology is purely functional, but items like this were designed as pieces of jewelry with decorative-art attributes. Think of the symbolic role of portraiture too, where displaying wealth through accessories reinforced hierarchies. Editor: That's such a good point. I hadn’t considered how its function is only one facet of its identity. It really embodies the Baroque aesthetic. How would society have been shaped by objects like this, showing, so openly, privilege and distinction? Curator: Consider who could *access* time, then. Owning such a watch made the owner part of the social fabric of the elite and privileged. Without the time piece, how were average people supposed to orient their life decisions and activities. Editor: Wow, this makes me view the object in a completely different light; I see how this object served a dual purpose – both practical and societal. Curator: And considering the culture of conspicuous consumption back then makes one ponder our modern relationship with personal technology like a smartwatch. The legacy lives on.