Silver Chaise Clock-watch This beautifully engraved silver clock-watch was made by the brilliantly talented maker Edward East around 1660.[1] In May 1660, Charles II returned from exile and was restored as King of England, Scotland and Ireland. The following November, he appointed Edward East as his Royal Clockmaker. As such, this clock-watch perfectly embodies the spirit of the Restoration, a time of decadent court intrigues and the flourishing of the arts and sciences. East’s clock-watch is beautifully presented and of the finest quality. It has a silver champlevé dial featuring a riot of deeply engraved flowers erupting from a twin-handled vase. Its silver case is also engraved with flowers (that stylistically match those on the dial) along the edge of its smooth surface. These are pierced to allow the chiming of the hour to sound out. The striking bell fits snugly within the bowl of the case. East saw to it that that every visible surface of the movement and backplate was also finished to his exacting standards, ensuring that the mechanism is as much a work of art as his clock-watch’s dial and case. On the backplate, protecting the balance wheel, is an artfully rendered balance cock, pierced and engraved with flowers. Other artistic embellishments include the graceful design of the blued steel gate, and the delicate Tudor rose engraved in the centre of the countwheel. Visible through the side of the movement are four expertly crafted Egyptian split pillars, and the large striking barrel is also engraved with flowers and scrolls. A clock-watch’s place in time The first known clock-watches appeared during the early 1500s in the German cities of Nuremburg and Augsburg. This technology soon made its way to Britain, introduced by immigrant clockmakers during the late 1500s (you can read more about early clock-watches in the Clocktime article ‘The first timekeepers’). This type of timekeeper is named as such because it strikes the hours consecutively, and, while large enough to function as a small table clock, is also a wearable timepiece. As mentioned above, this clock-watch was made around the time of the Restoration, when East was appointed as King Charles II’s Royal clockmaker. As such, its presentation truly embodies this moment in time for its maker and Britain. When it was made, East was already one of the most successful and celebrated of the London clockmakers.[3] He was a brilliantly talented artisan who also happened to be a shrewd businessman. He had also risen through the ranks of the Worshipful Company of Clockmakers, having been appointed Warden in 1638, then Master in 1645 and again Master during Oliver Cromwell’s Commonwealth in 1653. As the favourite clockmaker of King Charles I (who reigned from 1625 until he was executed for treason on 30th January 1649), it is often assumed that East was an ardent Royalist. The reality was much more complex. First and foremost, he was a businessman who prioritised success over political ideologies, in effect practising real politik. Therefore, his politics, which were fluid, served his practical business interests. For instance, despite his royal patronage, East quietly supported the Roundheads; apparently, he later took ownership of a property in West Meath, Ireland, in repayment for a personal loan to Cromwell’s army.[4] Not only did East’s business survive the political and economic instability brought on by the English Civil Wars (1642–1646) and the Interregnum (1649–1660), but he stayed in London through the entire period, expanding his business and taking full advantage of opportunities.[5] Upon the Restoration of King Charles II in 1660, East moved seamlessly into the prestigious role of Royal Horologist to the King. Numerous watches and clocks that East produced on the heels of the Restoration survive. These include this beautiful silver-cased chaise clock-watch made around 1660. A fitting accessory and royal trophy Right on through the 1660s, early verge escapement watches and clock-watches remained courtly objects. They were incredibly expensive and seen as one of the latest technological marvels. Although, by modern standards, these were not very accurate or reliable, they were coveted for being the first complete portable timekeepers and were regarded as the epitome of opulent luxury. In this vein, clock-watches were popular among the very wealthy as a sign of status and wealth, or were given to members of the aristocracy as gifts. During Britain’s Interregnum, the Puritan style informed fashion and the decorative arts. It was defined by clean lines, quality materials and lack of ostentatious adornment. This aesthetic is embodied in the Puritan watches produced by East during this period, such as the silver Puritan watches that he created around 1640, now in collection at the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York (Accession number 17.190.1468a,b) and at the Science Museum, London (Object No. L2015-3100). Immediately following the Restoration, London shed its Puritan-inspired aesthetic constraints, transforming itself into a hub of high fashion. The new fashion took its cues from the new King and his royal court – one of the most decadent courts in English history. Men’s fashion, in particular, was directly informed by the figure of the libertine, a man who lives a life of sensual pleasure without regard for moral principles. This figure was personified and aggrandised by King Charle II himself, as he aspired to this lifestyle and deliberately populated his court with young men who fit this character. Perhaps the rising popularity of clock-watches during the early 1660s may have had something to do with the fact that this type of portable timekeeper was the perfect accessory for the latest dandified waistcoats worn by men of the King's court. Charles II was also an enthusiast for royal tennis while in exile in France. After the Restoration, he had tennis clothes purpose-made, and his first accounts for 1660–1662 list eight tennis suits. He is also known to have presented a silver watch made by East as a tournament prize. While there is no evidence that this chaise clock-watch was that keepsake, it is notable that a watch of this type was regarded as a fitting and desirable royal trophy. Dr Kristin Leith, Curator of Clocktime December 2025 End notes [1] Carter 2021b, 30–33, Catalogue No. 6; Garnier and Hollis 2018, 200, Catalogue No. 39; Taylor et al. 2020, 24, Exhibition No. 3:7. For a similar clock-watch by East that was made around the same time see the quarter striking clock-watch at the British Museum, Museum No. 1958,1201.2246. [2] See Dr John C Taylor’s commentary on the movement design form 'Chapter 4' of the video that accompanies this exhibit. [3] Carter 2021a, 34-38; Finch et al. 2017. [4] Carter 2021a, 36. East was also a member of the Goldsmiths’ Company. It was a key financier of the Roundhead army, investing over £17,000 towards the Parliamentarian cause. [5] Finch et al. 2017, 364. East now controlled Edmund Bull’s premises, the Ram Alley workshop, and le Musical Clock in Fleet Street. He had also acquired a tenement and shop in St Clement Danes (on what is now the Strand in London). Additionally, in 1653, East became Master of the Clockmakers’ Company for the second time, and by 1657 he was made 4th Warden of the Goldsmiths. References Carter, J. 2021b. The John C Taylor Collection: Part II (Selling Exhibition Catalogue, Carter Marsh & Co.). Winchester: Carter Marsh & Co. Finch, V. J., A. A. Finch and A. W. Finch. 2017. ‘Edward East (1602–c. 1695). Part 1 – Early Stuart period and Commonwealth’ in Antiquarian Horology 38: 3. Garnier, R. and L. Hollis. 2018a. Innovation & Collaboration: The early development of the pendulum clock in London. Isle of Man: Fromanteel Ltd. Taylor, J. C. and K. Leith (with contributions from T. Phillipson and K. Neate). 2020. The Luxury of Time: Clocks from 1500–1800. Isle of Man: Fromanteel Ltd.
