Antique Pocket Watches

In the 1730s, the Rococo style dominated all kinds of art: applied art in particular. The rich fantasy of the jewellers working in this intricate style was first and foremost demonstrated in the variety of materials they used. Watches were made of gold, silver, mother-of-pearl and semi-precious stones. Their surface was stamped with fanciful patterns, their main element being a shell-shaped curl.



Watches became a true costume decoration. Starting with the 1730s they were worn on a special chain — chatelaine which consisted of several links. The chatelaine was fixed to the costume belt with a hook. The watch case and the chatelaine were made of the same material and decorated with the same design. The chain and the watch case by anonymous English master are made of green heliothrope. The graceful watch-snuff-box by London watchmaker Telliap is also made of heliothrope in the Rococo style.