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with
their ardent patriotism and respect for liberty, Geneva's
"cabinotiers" were surely not the last to rise in defense
of their beloved city. Yet they suffered most deeply from
the political disruptions that threatened their livelihood.
Like many of his peers, Abraham Vacheron saw no more of
many of his noble patrons whose possessions, privileges
and indeed, whose very lives were claimed by the Revolution.
Just
as they had earlier been affected by the death of Voltaire
and of Rousseau, the watchmakers of Geneva lucidly witnessed
the dawn of a new era. But their craft remained a world
apart, lovingly nurturing its traditions.
As the fortunes of the war and the passions
of men ebbed and flowed, they remained riveted to their
workbenches, creating miniature worlds of gleaming gears,
patiently open worked bridges and meticulously
echoed the pulse of a changing world.
In
every respect the enlightened "cabinotier", Abraham
Vacheron was wedded to his trade, turning out one inimitable
timepiece after the other. At the same time, too, he
doubtless remained abreast of new ideas, fashions and
sentiments, possible including Goethe's works. Kant's
writings may well have reached him too. Himself something
of a philosopher and poet, he could well have subscribed
to what the poet Lamartine was later to pen:
"Man
knows no port;
time has no shore,
it flows and we merely pass".
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