Clocks hit the scene in early 1300s, screw type micrometer designed in 1666, spring driven clock in 1475, watches in the early 1500s, Watts screw micrometer 1772, an instrument making lab/shop built in Nuremburg in 1450. So it's conceiveable that some form of test indicator and wallthickness gauge was around at least that far back. But, I'd go out on a limb and say that machinists are a innovative bunch and if they were boring barrels, they had some way to measure walls.