Don't normally feature watches on my Thursday throwbacks but when I saw this one I thought I'd make an exception.
It's a German watch from around 1630-40 made by the watchmaker Johann Possdorfer.
The case of this exquisite piece is made of rock crystal and gold with enamel and the clock it's self is enamel on gold with a single gold hand. Lots of hours must have been devoted to making this watch which only measures 3.2 X 2.2cm which works out at 1~1/4 X 7/8 in inches.
The watch is considered special not only for its beauty but also because of how it was made to work. It has something called an cross beat escapement. This piece worked by transferring energy to the timekeeping elements which allowed the locking action to be counted. This action made it one of the best ways to keep time while on the move until the invention of the balance spring.
The watch is now kept in the Grunes Gewolbe in Dresden.
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