The Salt Lake herald. [volume] (Salt Lake City [Utah]) 1870-1909, 1897-02-14

myth, for it forms a part of tn .,ri-
vate collection of a New York million
aire. who purchased and brought ii
/ to this country about four years ago
/ Moreover. it is 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 beauti-
fully Ornamental with arabesque of in
genious design, cut into the surface
and delicately chased. The dial is di-
vided into twelve hours, but has no
minute marks on the spaces. Above
the figure II there is a small thorn,
and above each of the other figures a
small knob for convenience of feeling
the time at night. The early watches
had but one hand, the hour hand, and
the handspring, of hardened 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 time
ring favorably with the delicate produc-
ton of today, Notwithstanding the
rude work tools of the sixteenth CEN
fury.
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 parts of the
case and mechanism, and he naturally
put his whole soul and heart into the
work. 1t generally took a year for a
skilled handicraftsman to complete a
watch, and the remuneration, of course.
was large, as the ownership of a watch
was a mark of exceptional distinction
even among the wealthy. Every rich
man aspired to the possession of
watch, but after he gave the order he
had to wait a year or more for it's full
fillment.
AS a result of these conditions the
sixteenth century furnishes many ex-
amples of exquisitely ornamented
watches, not more than an inch or an
inch and 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 demand increased. more cost
~ materials, of course, were made use
of for the castings. Bronze and brass
were succeeded by silver. which was
often gilt, and then solid gold, and
this latter was then studded with
jewels.
SOME CURIO TIMEPIECES.
AS curiosities, other materials were
used for the cases. Agate and rock
crystal were much liked; the latter
was often used, especially for watches
in the form of a cross, which were
given to high dignitaries of the church,
and were worn upon the breast, sus-
pended 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 piece of crystal, followed out
with the greatest accuracy, and with
the faces beveled, and the transparent
lid opened on a hinge of gold. The
cross at all its angles and edges was
framed in with delicate band of
gold, ribbed, or beaded, or foliated.
The dial. not more than half an inch
in diameter, was of silver, infinitely
engraved, within the circle inside of the
figures. with a scriptural subject, which
can properly be seen only by the aid of
a nagnifying glass. The intervals
surrounding the dial and extending to
the four ends of the cross were of sill
yer gilt also richly engraved with fig
ures and emblems, the whole face of