IX Feminale Frenzy

Fig.20 Fine, rare and beautiful Patek Philippe 18K gold and enamel repousse pair case ladies antique pendant watch circa 1893.

Women watches come in smaller and thinner models than those of men's. The decorations range from sober bucolic or romantic scenes, such as the one featured here where the young man is teaching the young woman to play an instrument, day-dreaming, reclined, outer case is a cherub and a woman interacting - embodying the ideal romantically driven passively dreaming virtuous woman. It is no coincidence that the style of this watch is of 100-200 years earlier, as if women were slowly appropriating men’s luxuries, but that their secret were simply this romantic bagatelle. According to sources, the general impression with pocket watches and women was that no women were particularly interested in the time. It is written that women watches were fitted with inferior mechanical parts and movements. Often found in the form of a brooch or worn as a choker collar around the neck, it is through the woman that we can confirm that the watch is also explicitly an announcement of private property to claim their position as timekeeper to others. 
The watch, in this sense is a private privilege intentionally arranged to be public.We see here in this fashion illustration that the woman with a watch is at the center, all heads are directed towards her, the one at her right’s hand seems to nearly point out the watch. The attention is discretely on the watch, meanwhile the central woman, holding her friend on the right, with a light grin, her arm is at a discrete level, seems to be absorbed, appearing to be privately anticipating what is in the near future perhaps looking forward to being with the provider of her timepiece who is most likely a man.