An “exceptional� Swiss pocket watch once owned by King Fouad of Egypt, which is due to go under the hammer in Geneva, has been put on public display in Bahrain.
It was made by the oldest manufacturer of watches in the world, Vacheron Constantin, which celebrates its 250th anniversary in 2005.
…
Not surprisingly the watch took three and a half years to make and, even in 1929, it cost a small fortune. At auction it is likely to go for several million Swiss francs.
Antiquorum is exhibiting the piece at the International Fair in Bahrain that runs from October 3–9.
The sale in Geneva takes place at a Geneva hotel on April 3, and will be previewed around the world during the spring of 2005.
Certainly worth visiting the jewellery exhibition this year, but beware of taking wives! 😉
Comments
Re: Bahrain Jewellery Exhibition’s star attraction
Interesting interpretation Steve, agreed universal time is the unifying force for everything, and without it no navigation is possible. I guess there are things we have to thank the Arabs of old for!
Bahrain Jewellery Exhibition’s star attraction
Mahmood,
You realize of course that this beautiful work of art is the ultimate symbol of globalization. Instead of each locale independently deciding its own time based on the sun marking its own private noon, the clock forced the world to synchronize itself to share a common time, to march to the ticking of the same global clock. And that clock ticks inexorably forward into the future.
Carrying a pocket watch with you ties you personally to the rest of the modern world. It’s not just a pretty instrument, it’s a commitment to modernity. Once you start carrying a watch around, McDonalds is not far behind. The McWorld beckons beyond that.
Steve