A Brief Insight Into the History of Wrist Watches

It dates back to ancient times when man learnt to keep the track of time. The technology that time was not advanced and they devised the instruments for the sake of timekeeping which we know see only in museums or in homes as antique pieces of art. Flow of water or sand helped them know about the passage of time. Then came the time when they started using sundials which indicated time by the shadow of a gnomon that daylight used to cast on a dial and hence the time piece was called a sundial. With the passage of time there were invented clocks and as the technology advanced man learnt the importance of space with an emphasis on compactness. This is the era which is attributed to the arrival of very first watch.

It was back in 1511 when Peter Henlein, a German clockmaker made a compact 'clock' that could be carried away in purse or pocket. The gadget was merely a devise to tell time and the portability was the feature that distinguished the distinction. For years and years the tradition got deeply rooted in various cultures and societies till addition of a strap to the compact dial which gave birth to the first ever wrist watch. In 1868 Patek Philippe invented a watch that could be worn on the wrist and thus the invention took the name of 'wrist watch'. However, the idea was not popular enough as men of that era saw it to be more of an ornament. Women however, grew fondness for the new invention as it added a new accessory to their wardrobes. They used it more as a fashion statement rather than a time piece. This is the reason that they were commonly known as 'wristlets' rather than 'wrist watches'.

Year 1904 could be regarded as a breakthrough in the history of wrist-watches when Louis Cartier designed first wrist watch for men. He designed the watch for one of his friends Alberto Santos (an aviator) who asked him to craft a wrist watch for him to help him keeping record of time during flights. 1911 was the year when men's wrist watches made début. However it was still not as popular as 'wristlets'.

World War I where is considered to be responsible for many important events in the history of man, it is also an important period in the wrist watch timeline. Till early 20th century men used to make use of pocket clocks to keep record of time thinking of 'wristlet' to be a woman accessory. However, as the war started and time became more of essence there was seen a trend that soldiers started using wrist-watch to know the exact time. It was like getting rid of hassle of bringing out the pocket clock and keep it back which was not only wasting their time but also was a burden on their pocket as it was quite bigger in size as compared to small watches.

Today we see a large array of wrist watches that are widely used by men and women from all professions and walks of life for both functionality as well as beauty.

A Brief Insight Into the History of Wrist Watches