Geneva, ca. 1640
Jean-Baptiste Duboule (1615–1694)
Movement with verge escapement, gut on fusee winding mechanism; hour hand
Inv. 1983.1078.
The tulip-shaped watch case consists of three petals made of finely cut rock crystal with a parcel-gilt silver setting. The dial is decorated with an engraved landscape. Jean-Baptiste Duboule, who signed the bottom plate, was the son of Martin Duboule (1583–1639), the first master watchmaker from Geneva to be known by name, some of whose watches have survived. His son Jean-Baptiste worked as a watchmaker in Geneva from 1638. Tulips first arrived in Europe in the mid-16th century and they remained much-coveted, exorbitantly expensive flowers right up to the 17th century.
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