Historic Treasure of the Week - January 31, 2000
By Jan Buffington
Vigo County Historical Society
Historic Treasure of the Week -
January 31, 2000
By Jan Buffington
Vigo County
Historical Society
Only a matter of time before pocket watches became wristwatches
When this “watch” was brought to my attention, it reminded me of a Popeye cartoon that was set in an ancient times.
Popeye had a wrist sundial that he checked to see if it was time for another meal of spinach.
Time has been measured in many ways through the ages.
Babylonians and Egyptians used the sundial.
Later, the Egyptians invented the clepsydra, or water clock, that could measure time at night.
The mechanical clocks we use today were invented in the late Middle Ages.
The spring-driven timepieces were developed in the late 15th century, making it possible to make smaller clocks.
The need to have accurate timekeeping devices for navigation at sea was the mother of invention that developed the portable timepieces.
The spring was not affected by the motion of the ship, unlike the current time measuring devices using weights and/or pendulums.
Even though the technology to make wristwatches had been around for almost two centuries, it wasn’t until the 1920s that the wristwatch became popular.
This pocket watch is gold and has beautiful floral work on the back. That in itself makes this watch special; but the bracelet that holds it also is unique.
It is leather and has a pouch that opens to hold the pocket watch. The bracelet was then buckled on the wrist.
It is not known who donated the timepiece to the museum or who it belonged to but it surely is a unique artifact.
When the museum is reopened in February, you can see the pocket/wrist watch in the General Store Exhibit on the lower level.
The Historical Museum of the Wabash Valley, 1411 S. Sixth St., is open from 1 to 4 p.m. Tuesday through Sunday.