Watch 1625 - 1635

Jean Cusin crafted this silver pendant watch in the shape of a cross sometime in the early 17th century. It is a potent symbol of the intersection of faith, science, and commerce in early modern Europe. The cross, a universal emblem of Christianity, here becomes an object of personal adornment, a fashionable status symbol for the wealthy. Simultaneously, the watch’s intricate mechanism reflects the burgeoning scientific interest in measuring and controlling time, a concept that was becoming increasingly important to merchants and entrepreneurs. The engravings, depicting biblical scenes and memento mori, remind the wearer of their mortality and the importance of living a virtuous life. Objects like this offer historians a window into the complex cultural landscape of the 17th century. By consulting period documents, religious treatises, and scientific publications, we can begin to understand the ways in which people negotiated the shifting boundaries between faith, reason, and material culture.