Clocktime David Ramsay's King James Portrait Watch c1618, 01 History & Features
Channel: Dr John C Taylor
Date: 2024-04-05

David Ramsay – Astrological gilt oval watch in engraved silver case with King James portrait and arms by Gérard de Heck. 

Join Dr John C Taylor OBE from the Clocktime digital museum as he introduces the history and features of the David Ramsay King James Portrait Watch.

Discover more about early and antique clocks and watches...

https://clocktime.co.uk/artefacts/ramsay-king-james-portrait-watch

David Ramsay, the King's clockmaker. He was born in Fife Scotland in around 1580 and he became the chief clockmaker to James VI of Scotland and I of England in about 1613. But this appointment also included being a gentleman of the bed chamber, an inner cabal of Scots within the English Court, reducing the influence of the privy Council, who were primarily English, on the King. Astronomical King James VI and I's watch by David Ramsey made in about 1618. The engraved portrait of King James and the Royal Coat of Arms bear all the markings that this watch was commissioned by the King as a gift. It's an extraordinary piece of engineering craftsmanship and presentation for seven separate features. 

The watch is a multi-featured device that does so much more than just tell the time. Opening the watch to show the dial, we've got the time, the day of the week, the month, the Zodiac, the date the moon's age, the Moon's phase and the planetary hour. It's a bit difficult to take these all in but if we speed up time 3,600 times so 1 second becomes 1 hour it's much easier to see how all the different dials are read and work in relation to one another. The watch has an hour hand but does not have a minute hand. To tell the time, we look at the position of the steel hour hand pointer on the silver chapter ring. The distance it is moved between the two numerals enables you to estimate the time in minutes after the past hour and this estimation is also helped by the red half hour markers marked with small red flowers. Can you tell the time now?  Yes, it's half past five. 

On the nine-side (IX) of the dial is the day of the week aperture. The detailed engraving is incredible on a disc measuring only 19 mm in diameter. Imagine the Craftsman making this by candlelight without magnifying spectacles. Every day of the week is represented by its ruling planet and the associated God. Sunday, we have Apollo with his golden laurel reef and bow and arrow. Monday, the Moon Luna with her Crescent Moon headpieces and her bow and arrow. Tuesday is Mars with his sword and shield. Wednesday, Mercury wearing his winged hat, carrying his herald staff for the two entwined snakes. Thursday, we have Jupiter, the King of the Gods with his golden crown lightning bolts and trident. Friday is Venus, the goddess of love carrying a small child, whereas Saturday, Chronos has his scythe and is carrying a dead child. Each hour of the day is also assigned a ruling planet by astrologers. Knowing the planetary hour would inform the viewer or his fortune teller when making important decisions, for example, Venus might indicate an hour for love, Mars with dealing with paperwork and Jupiter for good luck and good company. The planet hour disk is geared directly to the hour hand. 

On the three-side (III) of the watch, we have the lunar date and the moon phase apertures. On the average, it circles between a new and full moon in 29 and 1/2 days. Here it's only engraved for 29 days. The moon phase disc has 59 teeth, which are all filed by hand. See some smaller than the average. Here's a full lunar cycle speeding from new, waxing to full and waning back to new again. 
At the top of the watch is the date, the month and the Zodiac dial. The silver outer dial is engraved for 31 days. The date is read using the small blue steel fleur-de-lis and the month and the Zodiac are identified with the long pointer. The watch would have to be re-calibrated several times over the course of the year to take into account the differences in the lengths of the months in the Gregorian calendar. Of course, when this watch was made, both England and Scotland still used the Julian calendar where the year changed at the Feast of the Annunciation on March the 25th. All Catholic countries had adopted the Gregorian calendar. Does the gap in the months between December and January showing the new year on the King's watch give a further indication it was made in a Catholic country, likely in Paris?

Here you can see the 12 Zodiac signs engraved on the pierced golden dial. Can you read the date now? Yes, it's the 25th of November, my birthday. That the watch has survived at all is remarkable, but here it is ticking away, displaying more functions than most so called modern complication watches. Truly, this watch by the foremost watchmaker of his age, David Ramsey, is an item fit for a King and can still amaze and delight us some 400 years later.