HISTORY IV
ABOUT THE NAME
The term "pocket watch" does not define the
item it refers to in the best way. Archival documents show that these watches were not worn in the pocket but hanging on a chain around the neck or in a bag at the waist. It was not until much later, about 1675, when King Charles II brought the long waistcoat into fashion, that watches started to be worn in the pocket. Women continued to wear watches around the neck and at the waist, so the term ladies pocket watch is, in fact a language convenience. Howevwer, many languages was not managing to find a good terminus technicus for this type of watch. This can be seen in the introduction to Hugh Tait's book Clocks and Watches (Cambridge, 1983), which starts with the question,"A clock or a watch?" Tait points out that today people consider a watch as being worn on the person. In fact, the word clock derives from the Latin word clocca, which means bell, and was used for timekeepers that struck the time at certain time intervals. Today many timekeepers are called clocks even if they do not have a striking movement, and many are called watches (pocket watches) although they do.
On the other hand, the New English Dictionary, gives the oldest meaning of the word watch from 1440: Wecche, ofa clokke, meaning alarm, from watch, to awaken, which would mean that the word designates an alarm clock. This is in contradiction to the explanation given earlier, although practically all early German watches had alarm work.
Ernst von Bassermann-Jordan (Uhren, Braunschweig, 1969,) says that the German language does not have a word, like watch in English or montre in French, that would define a large group of timekeepers worn on the person. From the end of the 18th until the beginning of the 20th century most watches worn on the body were pocket watches (Taschenuhren). In the 16th and 17th centuries, however, pocket watches were only part of the group of small, portable watches. For this reason authors do not use the term Taschenuhr for early watches, but call them am Korper getragene Uhren (watches that are worn on the body).
The 1746 inventory list of Oroslavje Manor, the estate of the Counts Sermage mentions a vura sepna zlata (gold pocket watch), which is a relatively early use of the term pocket watch.
item it refers to in the best way. Archival documents show that these watches were not worn in the pocket but hanging on a chain around the neck or in a bag at the waist. It was not until much later, about 1675, when King Charles II brought the long waistcoat into fashion, that watches started to be worn in the pocket. Women continued to wear watches around the neck and at the waist, so the term ladies pocket watch is, in fact a language convenience. Howevwer, many languages was not managing to find a good terminus technicus for this type of watch. This can be seen in the introduction to Hugh Tait's book Clocks and Watches (Cambridge, 1983), which starts with the question,"A clock or a watch?" Tait points out that today people consider a watch as being worn on the person. In fact, the word clock derives from the Latin word clocca, which means bell, and was used for timekeepers that struck the time at certain time intervals. Today many timekeepers are called clocks even if they do not have a striking movement, and many are called watches (pocket watches) although they do.
On the other hand, the New English Dictionary, gives the oldest meaning of the word watch from 1440: Wecche, ofa clokke, meaning alarm, from watch, to awaken, which would mean that the word designates an alarm clock. This is in contradiction to the explanation given earlier, although practically all early German watches had alarm work.
Ernst von Bassermann-Jordan (Uhren, Braunschweig, 1969,) says that the German language does not have a word, like watch in English or montre in French, that would define a large group of timekeepers worn on the person. From the end of the 18th until the beginning of the 20th century most watches worn on the body were pocket watches (Taschenuhren). In the 16th and 17th centuries, however, pocket watches were only part of the group of small, portable watches. For this reason authors do not use the term Taschenuhr for early watches, but call them am Korper getragene Uhren (watches that are worn on the body).
The 1746 inventory list of Oroslavje Manor, the estate of the Counts Sermage mentions a vura sepna zlata (gold pocket watch), which is a relatively early use of the term pocket watch.
2 komentara:
What i am looking for is a web site that will tell me where a pocket watch was made and who made it. Not just the one from long ago. But the ones up to today. And not just American watches but watches of the world.
I remember my first pocket watch, it was my grandfathers, it had a picture of a lion on the front of it. I dont believe it was that old but it was a beautiful pocketwatch nonetheless.
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