A 17th-century Dom Joly's reaction to James VI's amazing new tech isn't hard to imagine
King James the VI and I’s watch was a technological marvel that stood the test of time
Those who eagerly snap up the latest gadgets can find themselves treated with a strange mixture of admiration, jealousy and derision.
Comedian Dom Joly’s sketch on Trigger Happy TV in which he yelled “Hello, I’m in a library” and so on into an over-sized mobile phone was one expression of frustration with the march of progress in the early 2000s. Meanwhile, those who fall for devices that turn out to be flops (those of a certain age may remember Betamax videos, Sinclair C5s and the ‘gull-winged’ DeLorean of Back to the Future fame) can seem like gullible dupes.
However, while King James VI of Scotland undoubtedly had his faults, he can take credit for being an early-ish adopter of a technological marvel: a portable timepiece, aka a ‘watch’. Set to go on sale at auction, it was created by David Ramsay in around 1613, and shows not just the time, but also the day and lunar phase, among other functions.
Doubtless James had tremendous fun showing it off to his courtiers. Their reaction may be lost to history, but it’s not that hard to imagine...
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