THE FIRST WATCHES.

Hokitika Guardian, 10 July 1924, Page 4

THE FIRST WATCHES.

Although it is difficult to say exactly when the first uatcli was made, it may be taken that the pocket chronometer is now celebrating its fourth centenary, wirtes F.G'.H. in the “Daily .Mail.” Four hundred years ago someone invented the spiral spring which made the “portable clock” possible, and craftsmen in France and (feminity manufactured the lirst watches. Peter Hole, of Nuremberg. wai among the earliest watchmakers. The watches he made were big and clumsy, and from their oval shape were known as “Nuremberg eggs.” Francois 1. of Frame wa s probably one of the first possessors of a watch. It was a massive affair, and pernaps somewhat of a burden to his Majesty, but it was regarded as a marvel ol mechanism in those days. During the latter part of the sixteenth century watches became much smaller. uses were made in even more fanciful designs than they are io-dav, and fashionable folk wore watches in the form of death’s heads anti coffins enriched with jewels Women of to-day will be surprised to know that their sisters so far back as the sixteenth century were wearing diminutive watches as ear-

rinj's . It wits at this period that in polished Parisian society there came into the etiquette of the watch. One of the rules was that it should not ha consulted in the salon, such an act being taken as an indieation that tlie* owner was tired of his company. An ingenious watchmaker, therefore, brought out a watch with raised figures and a fairly solid hand. When the owner wished to know the time lie slipped a surreptitious linger into fits packet, pas-cd it along the painter and read the hour as the blind man reads Braille. The watch with the luminous dial from which the tin.it* may he told in the dark, had it number of strange prototypes. One of the most curious was the time-keeper invented by a celebrated member of the French Academy. M. de S' il layer. He had const meted a clock which, lace upwards, was attached to the head of his bed. In the place of thc> figures marking the hours there were small cups, which, sunk into the* dial, were filled with 12 kinds of spiers. In the night M. de S’Mayor would moisten » linger, pass it along the pointer, dip in into the cup to which it pointed, and ta-ie the spice. Tin* cinnamon might stand tor three o’c lock, nutmeg for lour o’clock, and so on. Sometimes, however, the spices got mixed, with direful results to M. de Villayer’s c hronological reckoning. English watchmakers have always been keen rivals of tin* Continental manufacturer. Among the most notable achievements of the English eraltsmen was the invention towards the end of tin* seventeenth century of the repeater watch. French and Herman manufacturers tried in vain to ohta.in the secret oi its mechanism Then Charles 11. of England sent a repeater watch as a gift to l.ottis XIV. of France, but the English watchmakers took the precaution to enclose* tin* mechanism in a solid easing which apparently could not be opened without breaking tin* watch.

King l.ouis, however, sent the watch to a lft-years-ohl watchmaker mimed Carme who had llio reputation of being the eleveresl c raftsman in the c ity. C.irme eventually look the* British puzc.lt* to pieces, and gave a valuable track* secret to the French watchmakers. The* King was delighted, and Carme, in tin* sunshine of the* royal favour and at tin* expense of the l’r*itisli watchmakers, made his lorlune.