Rock Island daily Argus. (Rock Island, Ill.) 1886-1893, 1889-10-15
THE FIRST WATCH MADE.
1T WAS ABOUT AS LARGE AS AN
ORDINARY DINNER PLATE.


Some OF the Early wonders OF the watch
maker. Art-Ingcuious Gifts to Kings.
.u -. T,mepIece which Ma
S"een Oh So"'
Nurrmburv Bavaria, tho European cradIe
OF invention. claims the dignifed honor of
bainr the birthplace Of tho individual In
who's. fsrt,Ie brain the ''larum," or ''pocket
clock " reyolyed as - thing OF fancy long be-
fore n became material object OF beauty
and utility
The first watch was a curiosity that could
be viewed in at least two different lisb,.
Its uiidsrness Of wheels was an eyerlastins,
sourc, ~ wonder and amazenent yvbila ,ts
.i,a was s,msthing awful 10 contamnIa,a.
some Of the first measures ~ much a. nina
inchsa IN diameter. or about the sine Of a com
mon dipper Mate
Think OF carrying such a thing I'm N mocha.
(which the Old Nuremburgers surely did FOR
they calIe.l them pocket clocks.n
Great size was absolutely NECESSARY hoth
on account Of the makers inability 10 con.
struct anything Of intricate or delicate work
manship and from the fact that weigbt.
were used instead OF springs
IL was In l477 that the old clockmaker Of
Nursmburg flushed the FIRST OF his wonder.
ful pocket clocks ~ after twenty two months
OF almost ceaseless labor.
Within seventy or eighty years after the in
vention Of the pocket clock" It's use had spread
20 England; but, OF course, tho carrying OF
such oddities had not become general In the
accounts OF Edward VI, OF England we And
mention OF the pocket timepiece. and also
the flr.t recorded instance OF the nss ., a.
word s'watch - The account which -
date Of 1852. says that he chad ons ,arn,,,
or watch OF iron, the case being likewise of
iron gilt, with two plummets OF lead.n
The writer OF the account goes ON 10 say
that Il was OF the finest possible workman
ship; that IL had an 'armn which pointsb 10
figures on a brass dial; that one winding
every Eve hours was all that IL required 20
keep IL going finely. ~ and lastly that IL was
only six inche. I'm diameter. "bainU, ON thai
account quite neat and handy" The ..armn
mentioned was, without doubt, the little
pointer known nowadays ~ the hand but
note the fact that Il had but one, and that AZ
had b. be wound five times In twepty.four
hours In order % keep it going finely y
RARK LuxuRrEs
For more than two hundred wears after
watches had become a part and parcel of the
royal paraphernalia they we're such rarities
and the prices were 80 fabulous that few
eouiu anord such Injuries Before the watch
making arr nal passed the hrst century
inlie POST designers anu constructors OF oddly
snaPed umepieces had become quite numer-
Gus In 1910, when the Widow Diana, Of
foict'ers, was the mistress OF Henry III, OF
france, she was presented by the courtiers
with remarkable collection OF curiously
shaped and strangely designed watches One
u these. In shape OF coffin. would only run
when standing on the small end or foot
% it, CHASTITY looking case. Tbs crvs.
tai which corrssponded with the Fac
plate Of coffin. opan.d directlv ovar n
ilsho-tly death head watch faes unon the
6ony ch.eks forshead and chin ~ ,yhtch
were painted the numerals indicating the
hours OF the day.
Into the empty eyesockets one could gaze
like into the wells OF despair aud see the
twisting, writhing motion OF the wheels A
post protruded FROM the hashless no.e 10
which was attached an arm or hand. Asif
10 add 10 the general horror OF the whole
machine, tho erinning tssth slowly opened
i've minutes hefore the end OF each hour and
closed with the opening OF the hour following
Lugubrious styles seem 70 have been the
fashion OF the day, her entire collection be
ing comprised OF watches In such shapes as
skulls, collins, etc. Besides being fashioned
into various uncanny shapes, many OF the
collection were provided with panoramic
views Of bell, Ia Dautes Inferno Col
Letting watches was not confined to royalty
OF continental Europe alone. but was also a
great fad among the aristocracy OF the Brit
= ,,s- - In - sSS e,
r,aid NJ 49, ,,,,h ,ss osen'eu me, ner