Unsigned, no. 26'741, circa 1810

Worn around the neck, carried in pockets or used as brooches, form watches were an attractive portable timekeeper for ladies and gentlemen of a certain social status and became fashionable especially during the last quarter of the 18th century and retained their popularity through the 19th century.

These alluring timekeepers were conceived to combine the functionality of a watch with the sumptuousness of a jewel. There were no limits to the creativity of watch makers who could choose from a wide range of symbolic form casings such as fruits, flowers, animals and musical instruments such as the present mandolin form watch.