Watch 19th century

This is F. Pernetti’s “Watch”, a small, decorative piece, likely crafted during the 19th century. Watches like this were emblems of status, and we can consider how their ownership intersected with class and gender. Intricately adorned with floral motifs, this watch evokes the opulence of its time. But what does it mean to carry time on your person so overtly? Think about how, for the elite, time was a marker of leisure and control. This is in stark contrast to the enslaved, or the working class, whose time was not their own, but was instead regulated by the demands of labor. Consider the watch’s potential as a gift. What unspoken messages did it carry between giver and receiver? Perhaps, declarations of love, or assertions of power, all wrapped in this beautiful, yet loaded object. As you look at its face, consider the weight of time and the ways it shapes our lives.