The herald., 1897-02-07
First 0enefati0n of Makers Dis.
played Great Skill
RECEIVED FABULOUS SUMS
Some flmepleces Which Were Strangely
Contrived
An Iron Affair - Large a. Saucer Cost $1,000
and . Tiny Tlmspiecs $4,000.
A Wonderful Clock

It is something Of a curious paradox
that the time OF the invention Of the
watch, the literal register of time, is a
disputed question. 1t Is quite clearly
proven that mechanical clocks existed
In the ninth century, but when and where
the first watch appeared is a question
which authorities have wrangled over
for innumerable years, and In all prob
ability the dispute will never die out.
Some historians credit King Robert of
Scotland with the possession of a watch
in the year 1910. Who fashioned the
contrivance, or how 1t passed into the
possession of the doughty warrior, his
tory fails to tell.
This is nearly 200 years earlier than
the generally accepted time Of the first
genuine appearance Of the watch Most
of the authorities agree that the honor
OF creating the first pocket timepiece be-
longs to Nuremberg locksmith, Peter
Henlein by name, who was born in 1880,
and produced his first watch in 1920. This
watch is not a myth, for it forms a part
of the private collection of New York
millionaire, who purchased and brought
1t to this country about four years ago.
Moreover, 1t is still capable of correctly
keeping track of the lapse of time.
The works are entirely of iron. The
back of the case and the cover. which
are of bronze, and the dial, are beautiful
~ OrndHeHteu WIFI dTapeSQueS OF lnSe-
MUS design, cut into the surface and del
icately chased. The dial Is divided into
twelve hours. but has no minute marks
on the spaces. Abave the figure 12 there
Is small thorn ,and above each of the
other figures a small knob, for convent
ence Of feeling the time at night. The
early watches had but one hand, the
hour hand, and the handspring, of hard
ened iron, had no casing, but was merely
confined by four pillars supporting the
back plate.
The advent of this watch attracted the
attention of hundreds of inventors in
all parts of Europe. and during the next
century many wonderful timepieces ap-
peared many Of them comparing favor
ably with the delicate productions of
today Notwithstanding the rude work
tools Of the sixteenth century.
THE TRUE ARTIST.
The explanation of this excellence is
that everything about the watch was
produced by hand. machinery, of course,
being unknown. Moreover, the single
workman made all the parts Of the case
and mechanism, and he naturally put
his whole soul and heart into the work.
1t generally took year for skilled
hand1craftsman to complete a. watch,
and the remuneration. of course, was
large, as the ownership Of watch was
a mark of exceptional distinction even
among the wealthy. Every rich man
aspired to the possession Of a watch. but
after he gave the order he had to wait
. year or more for its fulfllment.
AS a result of these conditions the six
teerth century furnishes many exam
pies Of eXquisitely ornamented watches,
not more than an inch or an inch and a
quarter In diameter. These were still
much thicker In proportion to their
breadth than the watches Of the present
day. AS the art advanced and the de-
mand Increased, more costly materials, |
of course, were made use Of for the cas-
ings. Bronze and brass were succeeded |
by silver. which was often gilt. and then |
solid gold, and this latter was then stud |
ded with jewels.
SOME CURIO TIMPIEcES.
As curiosities. other materials were
used for the cases. Agate and rock crys-
tai were much liked; the latter was often |
used, especially for watches in the form
of cross, which were given to high dig
nitaries of the church, and were worn
upon the breast, suspended by a ribbon
or chain around the neck.
These crosses. which were rarely
more than an inch broad and an inch and
a half long, were made out Of a single
greatest accuracy, and with the faces
beveled, and the transparent lid on a
hinge of gold. The cross in all it's an
giles and edges was framed in with a
delicate band Of gold. ribbed or beaded
or foliated.
The DIAL not more than half an inch
N diameter, was of silver. minutely en-
graved, within the circle inside of the
figures, with a scriptural subject, which
can properly be seen only by the aid of
4 magnifying glass. The intervals sur
the dial and extending to the
four ends of the cross were of silver
gilt, also richly engraved with figures
and emblems, the whole face of the cross
forming a harmonious design rich in
int, and to which the sharp. brilliant
edges of the crystal gave heightened
uster.
In this period Of Matchmaking the
same kind of watch was produced which
Is now used by persons afflicted with
blindness, that Is, a watch with raised
figures on the face. But two and half
centuries ago it was made SO that the
time could easily be discovered at night.
Blind people may have used it, too. but
These sixteenth century watches were
elaborate in many ways. One has upon
is face three dials touching each other
IN the rims in the form of clover leaf,
and the remainder of the oval ornament
ID with the richest foliage intertwinings.
This watch shows the hour, day Of the
week and of the month, the signs of the
zodiac, and the progress of the moon
rom day to day; and the back of the
,ase is an exquisite example of the en-
sraver's art. At that period, and in
Iced, almost up to the beginning of the
present century, each watch was a work
# art distinctive in its character.
COST ENORMOUS SUMS.
While many small watches were made.
he average sixteenth century watch
vas burdensome affair, about five
nches in diameter and an inch and a
lalf in thickness. Even these cost in the
leighborhod Of $500, while the very
mall ones cost as much as S25O0.
During the reign of George TIT an
English jeweler named Arnold. IN 1854
made a watch set in ring for the king
The Car of Russia offered the iewaJer
$1,000 tx he would duplicate the trif1a
ut Arnold refused, and for MANY year.
King George enjoyed the much nriaaS
distinction OF owning the smallest watch
n the world.
In the middle of the seventeenth "a,
ury there was a great demand for
nique CLOCKS, originated by the curious '
1Ventions OF Nicholas Grollier de SER
iere, porn at Lyons in 1896, and living
imost TO the dawn of the eighteenth
entury. Serviere was a soldier of emf .
ence Tor forty years, and then he retired
devote the remainder of his life to
,schapical inventions. "
A STRANGE CLOCK
One of his oldest timepieces was
lock with an oblOng square dome raiso5