Repeating Watch with Chronometer c. 1790 - 1810

This repeating watch with chronometer was crafted by Philippe Dubois et fils. The most striking element here is the dial, neatly divided into precise segments, an emblem of time's relentless and measured march. Consider the circle—a symbol as old as humanity itself. From ancient sun discs representing eternity to the ouroboros, the snake devouring its tail, the circle embodies cycles, continuity, and the infinite. This watch, with its circular face, echoes these ancient symbols. We see time meticulously quantified, yet time itself remains elusive, a river ever flowing. This division of time into segments, each with its own numerical marker, mirrors humanity’s age-old struggle to contain the uncontainable. The very act of marking time is an attempt to manage our anxieties about mortality and the fleeting nature of existence.