A 17th century pocket watch made in France has become available on the James List. For a watch made in1625 it is in surprisingly good condition. This is a watch made before the advent of the balance spring which made the watches more accurate. This watch could almost tell you the history of watch making. It was made at a time when watches had only one hour hand.
The watches made at the time were not very reliable as timing instruments but more an item of class and esteem for the very rich. The emphasis, at that time was on decoration and craftsmanship and not on accuracy. This particular piece as you can see in the photograph has some very elaborate ornamental work on the dial. This particular piece also has some sort of an alarm and the hour striking system.
This beautiful example of witch making from the early 17th century is signed by Josias Jolly, who was a watch maker in Paris. Though inaccurate the watch has a complex mechanism. It uses a small chain connected to the main spring barrel. It is rare to get a watch from that period in good condition. It is available on the James List for about $78,000.
