Singing bird box
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A singing bird box is a box, usually rectangular-shaped, which contains within a miniature automaton singing bird concealed below an oval lid and activated by means of an operating lever.
An unusual singing bird box by Frères Rochat, ca. 1810. The bird is shown in a tiny cage, not concealed inside the box as usual.
Frères Rochat work with independent musical movement and center-seconds, quarter-repeating watch, ca. 1820.
"Views of Switzerland", Charles Abraham Bruguier, enamel attributed to Louis Dufaux père, 1840s. Gold, marble, mother-of-pearl and painted on enamel, ruby and emerald-set musical singing bird box in the form of a paperweight.
Blaise Bontems ad published in 1878. The last line reads: "Tabatière avec Oiseau chantant" (Snuffbox with singing bird). So by the 1870s he was already making them.
Clock
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A clock or chronometer is a device that measures and displays time. The clock is one of the oldest human inventions, meeting the need to measure intervals of time shorter than the natural units such a
An analog pendulum clock made around 18th century
Casio F-91W digital watch, a historically popular watch introduced in 1989
Simple horizontal sundial
The flow of sand in an hourglass can be used to keep track of elapsed time.