WATCH'S

 WATCH'S

PART ONE OF FOUR

 WATCH'S

Watches undoubtedly developed from portable clocks, the latter becom­ing possible once the source of motive power was the mainspring rather than weights. It is now thought that the mainspring was possibly in use by the 1450s and it was definitely known by 1477.

There is some uncertainty about who invented the watch but references in Cosmographia Pomponiae Melas (1511) by Johannes Cocclaeus point to locksmith Peter Henlein of Nuremberg. However, Italian clock- makers were active in this period and by 1488 small portable clocks and probably watches were being made there. A school of watchmaking in France did not exist until the second decade of the 16th century.

 WATCH'S

Another question that arises in connection with the originator of watches is that while one would expect the shape of the first watch to have been drum- shaped, following the pattern of portable clocks, Peter Henlein's early watches are known to have been spherical. The earliest dated watch (1548) has a tambour case.

WATCH'S

 WATCH'S

Early German movements were made of iron with a verge escapement and foliot with a stackfreed to equalize the power of the spring. Cocclaeus' references to Henlein, however, speak of his watches running for forty hours, whereas watches with a stackfreed run for only twenty-six hours. It is possible that Henlein used 'stopwork' which was a device to prevent over-winding of the watch and to enable the middle turns only of the mainspring to be used, giving a more even torque. Examples ot early Nuremberg watches with stopwork are well known. French and English watchmakers preferred the use of a fusee rather than a stackfreed. Initially these used a gut line, but this was replaced by the chain.

WATCH' S

Striking and alarm mechanisms were incorporated in very early watches and, as had happened with some clocks, calendar and astro­nomical indications also became popular. Dials had only one hand, the hour hand, and were marked in hour and half-hour divisions. Since glass covers had not been invented, either a solid cover was used or one thai had been decoratively pierced so that the tip of the hour hand was visible.

Decoration on the dial usually consisted of a star or sun with twelve sunbeams connecting the hour numerals to the centre. Dials became more elaborate as the century progressed, with engraved work replacing the central sun.

 WATCH'S

WATCH'S

Cases of this period fall into two groups - drum and spherical - both characterized by a restraint in decoration which probably emphasized the greater importance of the movement at this time. Many watch cases were pierced so that the movement could be seen. Spherical watch cases were shaped from copper sheet and then chiselled and engraved; drum- type cases were usually cast. After about 1585 the German drum shape was replaced by a circular case with domed front and back covers.