Watches, Pocket Watch movement, German, 16th century

Watches, Pocket Watch movement, German, 16th century. The earliest known watches were made in Germany at the beginning of the 16th century. They were scaled-down versions of the slightly earlier table clocks and were made of iron throughout. This is an example of a spring-driven verge escapement watch movement, which would have been used in one of these early drum watches. It is fitted with a stackfreed regulator, which helps to control the rate at which the spring unwinds by friction. The watch would have been wound each day by hand. Photographie. ©SSPL/Science Museum