Watch 1800 - 1815

This golden watch was crafted by Robert Roskell in the early 19th century, encapsulating the era's fascination with measuring time. The face of the watch, with its stark white background and clear numerals, presents a serene yet urgent reminder of temporality. Consider how time, depicted here in miniature, resonates with broader cultural anxieties about mortality and legacy. In earlier epochs, the hourglass served a similar purpose, a memento mori in paintings, reminding viewers of life's fleeting nature. The watch, more portable and personal, extends this symbolic language. The circular shape itself can be traced through history, from ancient cosmologies representing the cyclical nature of life to more recent representations of the 'eternal return'. Even today, the ticking rhythm of a clock is a constant, subliminal echo of our heartbeat, a reminder of the metronome of existence. Such symbols remind us how deeply embedded temporal awareness is within our collective consciousness.