Watch by Daniel Quare, England, ca. 1700

V&A — Summary

Object Type This watch has inner and outer cases of engraved silver, which are pierced to allow the sound of the bell in the inner case to be heard. It repeats the quarters when the pendant is pressed down. People The maker, Daniel Quare (1648-1724), worked in London at St Martin's le Grand, and later, by 1680, at the King's Arms, Exchange Alley. He was a Quaker, and is said to have died in Croydon, but he was buried in the Quakers' Burial Ground at Bunhill Fields. He was one of the outstanding clockmakers and watchmakers of the generation in which London watchmaking established a leadership in Europe. He was at the forefront of the development of the repeating watch in the 1680s. In 1687 he was granted a patent for his system of repeating work after a dispute with Edward Barlow, which was taken to James II (ruled 1685-1688) for adjudication. The lion and unicorn on the dial of this watch may refer to Quare's address, and to his royal patronage Trading The customer bought a watch complete with cases from the retailer (watchmaker, goldsmith or jeweller). You might buy the watch off the shelf, or you might commission a watch that had cases decorated in the way you wanted. Normally the customer met only the watchmaker or his salesman in the shop. It was the watchmaker's job to organise the army of specialist craftsmen who made and decorated the movement and the cases.

V&A — Object history

Watch made in London by Daniel Quare, London (born in Somerset, 1648, died in Croydon, Surrey, 1724)

V&A gallery label

British Galleries: GENTLEMAN'S ACCESSORIES In about 1680 separate pockets made of soft leather were stitched to the seams inside loose-fitting breeches. Here a gentleman of fashion could carry valuables such as these without creating an unsightly bulge, and safe from pickpockets. The gold box was probably used for snuff or for cachous - pills made from cashew nut or licorice, taken by smokers to sweeten their breath.