Clocktime Gérard de Heck

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Gérard de Heck

Gérard de Heck was an outstanding Flemish (Dutch) engraver, active from around 1608 to 1629. He worked in Blois, France, during the early part of his career and then appears to have relocated to St Martins-in-the-Fields, in London around 1618.[1] We know little else of his life, and very little of his work can be identified. We do know that de Heck was employed by the Scottish watch- and clockmaker David Ramsay, and that the two had a working relationship, collaborating on more than one occasion. De Heck’s signature appears on two watches by Ramsay (described below) made around 1618 and around 1625, when Ramsay was based in London. Although he continuously struggled with debt, Ramsay was at the height of his career during this time.[2] It was highly unusual for an engraver to sign their work during this early period, and the signatures of engravers (as well as the other artisans who collaborated with clock and watchmakers) rarely appear on early timepieces. Thus, very little of de Heck’s horological engravings can be confirmed. The two Ramsay watches that de Heck signed are the King James Portrait watch, made around 1618, and the silver star-shaped verge watch dated to around 1625, from the Clockmakers’ Company Collection at the Science Museum (Object Number L2015-3086). De Heck’s outstanding engraving work covers the entirety of the dial face of the King’s James Portrait Watch, as well as its outer and inner case. His signature, De Heck Scul, is engraved on the case, showcased inside a little tablet held by a cherub. On the outside of the silver case are de Heck’s engraved scenes from Ovid’s Metamorphoses. The top-front cover features scenes from Book 2 and is labelled METAMORP: LIVRE 2. The bottom cover features scenes from Book 4 and is labelled METAMORP: LIVRE 4. Horologist Dr John C. Taylor has observed that the use of the French Livre for ‘book’, rather than the Latin Liber, is perplexing, because, at that time, Latin was the preferred language for literature as well as inscriptions on early horological timepieces. Why would French be used for writing the name and book title of the famous Roman author, Ovid? Also, the use of French did not preclude the use Latin elsewhere on the watch: de Heck engraved the King’s motto in Latin below James’ portrait on the inside of the back cover (described below), and Ramsay used doggerel Latin in his signature, Davis Ramsay Scottes Me Fecit.[3] Thus, the use of French and Latin on the watch is unusual and inconsistent. Taylor argues that, at the very least, the use of French in de Heck’s classically themed engraving (as well as the use of the same language for the months on the annual calendar on the dial face) indicates a deliberate preference for French over Latin in this instance. This suggests several possible scenarios. Perhaps the recipient of the watch was French or favoured reading in French, or perhaps the commission was from a French client. The use of French also suggests that the watch may have been manufactured in France. The most glorious element of de Heck’s engraving is the portrait of King James VI and I, which is revealed inside the silver back cover. It includes his royal coat of arms with the King’s motto in Latin, Beati Pacifici (‘blessed are the peacemakers’). The portrait engraving is picked out in red wax. De Heck’s version of the King’s portrait is uncannily similar to an illustration of the King by Simon de Passe, which appears in the 1618 publication Baziliologia, a series of portraits of British monarchs. The only difference between the two is that de Passe portrays the King in a very fine hat, while he is hatless in de Heck’s rendition.[4] De Heck’s engraving appears to be based on de Passe’s illustration. Taylor argues that the watch’s engraving and gilding were completed in Blois before de Heck left France and before his move to London in 1618. If so, this indicates a terminus ante quem of 1618 for the watch’s making. Yet, the year of de Heck’s arrival in London is the same year that de Passe’s illustration of the King was published in Baziliologia. Therefore, de Heck would not have had access to de Passe’s portrait until 1618. This suggests that de Heck did his work in London, which would establish a terminus post quem of 1618 as a date of manufacture. However, there is no evidence for the watch having been made in a workshop in London. To all intents and purposes, there is no way to prove whether de Heck did his work in Blois or London. You can read more about the dating and manufacture of the Ramsay King James portrait watch, made around 1618, on Clocktime. There is possible evidence of an unsigned de Heck engraving on a watch by London watch- and clockmaker Simon Bartram, who was active in London as a journeyman from 1630 until around 1650. The Bartram watch features engravings on its dial face that are strikingly similar, if not arguably identical, to engravings by de Heck on the King James Portrait Watch’s dial face. What is more, the layouts of the watch’s dial plate and movement are identical to those of the King James Portrait Watch. Thus, Ramsay must have been heavily involved in the manufacture of the Bartram watch. Could the Bartram watch be another example of a Ramsay–de Heck project? Taylor asserts that

... there is no doubt that the two watches were made in the same workshop by the same watchmakers under the same leadership and the same engraver. The identity of the engraver is obvious – we need look no further than Gérard de Heck.

In a forthcoming article by Taylor, you can read all about de Heck and Ramsay’s possible role in the creation of the Bartram watch. The only other surviving work signed by de Heck is the silver star-shaped verge watch made around 1625, also by Ramsay. This exquisite watch was made around 1625, after de Heck had moved to London. His beautiful engravings completely cover all surfaces of the watch’s silver case and depict Biblical scenes of the nativity. Engravings also grace the watch’s silver dial face. The centre disc features another nativity scene, and surrounding the chapter ring, within the six points of the star, are engraved angels (one in each point). The angel seated above the XII holds a shield in its right hand that bears de Heck’s signature, de Heck Sculp. Dr Kristin Leith, Senior Curator of Clocktime April 2023 End Notes [1] Finch et al. 2019, 190, fig. 7. [2] Finch et al. 2019. [3] Note that ‘Scottes’ is misspelled. In this case ‘Scottes’ clearly means ‘Scott’, and functions as a descriptor. Hence in English the signature reads ‘David Ramsay the Scott made me.’ The correct Latin for Scott as a descriptor is ‘Scotus’. [4] Cuss 2008, 34, pl. 10. References

Cuss, T. C. 2008. The English Watch 1585 – 1970. Woodbridge: Antique Collectors Club.
Finch, A. A., V. J. Finch and A. W. Finch. 2019. ‘David Ramsay, c. 1580–1659’ in Antiquarian Horology 40:2.