Horloge 1790

Curator: The artwork before us is a pocket watch, a "Horloge" crafted around 1790 by the Wiss brothers. The metalwork, exhibiting influences from the Neoclassical movement, is quite remarkable. Editor: My first thought? It feels almost frozen in time. Like holding a tiny sun that’s always marking a very precise, long-ago moment. The craftsmanship seems impeccable, almost too perfect to have been made by hand. Curator: Indeed, the Neoclassical influence manifests in its measured elegance and balanced proportions. Note the refined metal casing and the precise detailing—classic features for the late 18th century. How do you read the ornamentation? Editor: I'm drawn to the embellishments around the edge, like these tiny jewels, almost seed-like... seeds of time! They add a layer of organic fragility to the precision of the clockwork inside. Makes me wonder about our relationship to time… always trying to measure it, contain it, when it is flowing away. Curator: An interesting observation. Consider, however, the period: Neoclassicism was a movement rooted in rationality and order. The decorative elements, while ornamental, would have been meticulously planned. Editor: True, but the eye longs for more! It wants imperfections! Maybe the watch’s hands, eternally sweeping and pointing, are the ultimate expression of human restlessness. Always chasing what’s next. Or what's gone? Curator: I see your point. The permanence of the object juxtaposed against the impermanence of time itself creates an intriguing tension. This piece almost invites reflection on our own fleeting existence, don't you agree? Editor: Absolutely. I find a kind of beautiful melancholy radiating from this little, glittering sun. A gentle reminder that time, whether measured or not, keeps marching on.