History

Century

Nicolas-Mathieu Rieussec's inking chronograph

History of Watchmaking

A patent was granted for a "timepiece or measurer of distance covered", named a "seconds chronograph" by its inventor Nicolas Mathieu Rieussec, watchmaker to the King, who was born in Paris in 1781.

World history

Independence of Brazil.

Swiss history

1815. Signature of the final treaty admitting Geneva into the Confederation (May 19th).
1821. From April 15th and for the first time, official time in Geneva was the city's mean time. In 1779, the striking of the church bell had informed watchmakers that it was noon.

Art and Culture

Champollion revealed the secret of hieroglyphics.
Johann Ludwig Burckhardt's description of the Jordanian city of Petra sparked a wave of scientific and artistic interest.
1824. First performance of Beethoven's Ninth Symphony.