Marie Antoinette’s Smartwatch on Display in London
Marie Antoinette‘s “Smartwatch”: A glimpse into royal Science at Versailles
Versailles,France – A pocket watch designed for Marie Antoinette,boasting features that would impress even today’s tech enthusiasts,is the star attraction in a new exhibition exploring the intersection of science and splendor at the Palace of Versailles.
commissioned in 1783, the watch, considered one of the most exquisite and complex ever created, wasn’t completed until decades after the French queen’s execution.
“It took so long to create that it wasn’t finished until long after Marie Antoinette had met her unfortunate end,” said Dr. Glyn Morgan, Curatorial Lead for Exhibitions at the Science Museum in London.Dubbed the ”smartwatch of its time,” the timepiece is a marvel of 18th-century engineering.
Its intricate “complications,” as such features were known, include on-demand chimes for the hour, quarter hour, and minute; a perpetual calendar accounting for leap years; a thermometer; and an independent second hand functioning as a stopwatch.
The exhibition, “Versailles: Science and Splendour,” delves into how scientific knowledge, particularly in horology, permeated French society during the 17th and 18th centuries. It became a symbol of status, a tool of power, and a means to elevate France’s prestige on the world stage.
“Everyone thinks they know the story of Versailles,” Dr. Morgan explained. ”They think it’s a story of power and opulence and maybe the French Revolution. This exhibition is about all of that, but it’s also about a revolution of a different sort, a scientific revolution.”
A Queen’s Timepiece: Interview with Dr. Glyn Morgan on Marie Antoinette’s “Smartwatch”
NewsDirectory3.com: Dr. Morgan, thank you for speaking with us today. The exhibition, “Versailles: Science and Splendor,” at the Palace of Versailles features an extraordinary timepiece once owned by marie Antoinette. Can you tell us more about it?
Dr. Glyn Morgan: Certainly. This pocket watch, commissioned in 1783, is a true marvel of 18th-century engineering. Its intricate “complications” – as those additional functions were known – were truly groundbreaking for the time.
NewsDirectory3.com: What made this watch so special?
Dr. Glyn Morgan: It boasted on-demand chimes for the hour,quarter hour,and minute,an incredibly complex perpetual calendar that accounted for leap years,a thermometer,and even an self-reliant second hand that functioned as a stopwatch. It was truly the “smartwatch” of its time.
NewsDirectory3.com: This watch was not completed until decades after Marie Antoinette’s execution. What does that tell us about its importance?
Dr. Glyn Morgan: It speaks volumes about the craftsmanship and dedication involved in its creation. It also highlights the enduring interest with horology during that era,particularly amongst the French aristocracy.
NewsDirectory3.com: How does this exhibition connect Marie Antoinette’s watch too the broader themes of science and splendor at Versailles?
dr. Glyn Morgan: We aim to show how scientific knowledge, especially in fields like horology, permeated French society during the 17th and 18th centuries. Objects like Marie Antoinette’s watch became symbols of status, tools of power, and a means to elevate France’s prestige on the world stage.
NewsDirectory3.com:
What message do you hope visitors take away from this exhibition?
Dr. Glyn Morgan: I want them to see versailles in a new light. While it’s already known for its opulence and connection to the French Revolution, this exhibition reveals the “scientific revolution” that was also taking place there. It shows how science and art intertwined to create a truly extraordinary period in history.