1 . The Pocket Watch

 

The first account of a pocket watch or portable clock was an invention by Peter Henlein of Germany in the late 1500’s, and the pocket watch started to be produced as early as the second half of the 16th century. Distinctively, pocket watches of this early date had only one hand – which was typical until late in the 17th Century. General construction of these watches did not change much until the early 19th century when continental European watchmakers started to produce slimmer cases. Towards the end of the 19th century the Swiss watch companies started to introduce pocket watches with a great many special features such as repeating mechanisms that sounded the hours, quarter hours, calendar work, chronograph (stopwatch) mechanism and moonphases. Such pocket watches were typical of the high quality workmanship produced at the end of the 19th century.

 

But it was to be the increasing popularity of the wristwatch that led to the decline of the pocket watch as a convenient method of telling the time. Pocket watches have never really been out of favour and continue to have a following amongst discerning watch buyers and collectors. 

 

 

2. The Wrist Watch

 

The earliest wristwatches were in the form of a pocket watch that had been converted to be worn on the wrist. The first true wristwatch was believed to have been created by the Parisian firm Cartier in circa 1904 for the aviator Alberto Dumont. However, it was to be the outbreak of WW1, when wristwatches were issued to servicemen that the wristwatch became commonly used – in a wide variety of designs. Until the 1920’s watches were generally plain and circular often with Swiss watch movements.

 

After the 1920’s the style of wristwatch designs quickly broadened and became far more fashion led, particularly for women, where watches were starting to be seen as an extension of their jewellery. By 1924 The Watchmaker (De Uhrmacher) magazine reported “Today it can be said that the wristwatch has conquered the world, it is worn by the woman worker every bit as much as the society lady; it is particularly popular amongst the middle classes”.

 

After the outbreak of the World War 2 standard wristwatches were issued to members of the armed forces. This increasingly made the wristwatch an invaluable part of the lifestyles and wardrobes of the post war period. Through the ensuing years wristwatch design has reflected changing lifestyles and fashions over the decades.