Watch 17th century

This is a gilded brass watch, made by Duhamel sometime in the 17th century. As Europe recovered from the plague and expanded its colonial reach, time became a commodity. The watch becomes the perfect metaphor for a society obsessed with measuring, controlling, and consuming time. In the 17th century, the watch was a potent symbol of status and authority. What does it mean to be on time, to be punctual, and who gets to decide? With its delicate engravings and gilded surface, the watch speaks to both mortality and wealth. Can it be a memento mori, reminding its owner of the fleeting nature of life? Or is it a symbol of their power, a testament to their ability to master time? The measurement of time has always been linked to social structures, and this object embodies those connections.