Four Hundred Years Later: An Incredibly Rare James I and VI Watch, Circa 1620, by David Ramsay at Auction

After this year's Bonfire Night has brought the legacy of King James I and VI of England and Scotland back into our minds it seems an apt time to look closer at one of the highlights of this month's Cambrai Collection sale: an extremely rare mechanical pendant watch by James' Royal Clockmaker, the proud Scot David Ramsay.

As seen in the video above, the fact that this watch still runs seemingly just as well as it left Ramsay's workshop is a true testament to the skill of a maker who received generous royal patronage for this very reason; it also makes it a very early and valuable piece of mechanical and horological history which is why this watch has such a rich exhibition history, most recently in 2019-20 as part of The Luxury of Time exhibition held at the National Museum of Scotland.

The visual language of this watch is particularly engaging with the depiction of goddesses on both sides playing into the Classical allusions that formed an integral part of high- and court-society conversation.  The fineness of the engravings and the minute detail realised allows us to theorise on the identity of these goddesses and, therefore, speculate as to the possible nature of the watch's original commissioner or recipient within the context of the time. 

The obverse displays Athena with a possible specificity as Athena Polyada or Polias, meaning 'of the city' and in this guise with snake and mirror in hand commonly held to represent prudence, which arguably draws this watch closer to the political centre of the nation, London, where prudence had proven a useful quality for a reign that had weathered several murderous plots, not least that of 5th November 1605.

The reverse depicts Leukothea, goddess of the sea and saviour of sailors who featured in Homer's Odyssey - this raises the prospect of the owner having connections with Britain's burgeoning maritime trade and exploration of the period.

 

The dial of this watch is another tour-de-force of engraving with a fully realised townscape achieving a depth of field effect rising from the single, tiny duck paddling on the river to the foreground and rising further back to a church tower which, typically, climbs higher than any other building in the scene.

With less than two weeks until the sale, held live online and in person on 19th November, take the time to browse the catalogue and discover this and many more fine and important watches and clocks which chart horological progress from the early 17th to the late 20th centuries.  You can browse the PDF page-turner here: https://issuu.com/jammdesign/docs/wilson55_auctioneers_valuers?fr=sNTQ0YzgzNzc0MDc or access additional images and leave bids via this link: https://auctions.wilson55.com/auction/details/cc1126-the-cambrai-collection-fine-clocks--important-pocket-watches/?au=606

My thanks to Dr. Kristin Leith of the Clocktime Digitial Museum (www.clocktime.co.uk) and @clocktimesocial for her contributions to the study of this watch.