Some Timely Facts in the History of Wrist Watches

History of timekeeping devices

Before we start on the History of wrist watches we should learn about the history of watches and clocks in general. Man has always been interested in the time of day which is why people started to invent different kinds of clocks and later watches – something that could tell them what time it was. A large group of timekeeping devices were invented a long time ago, such as devices that measured the flow of sand and water, the burning of candles, or the path of the sun across the sky. In various nations there existed various traditions for the measuring of time, and for this reason the ancestors of modern watches varied from nation to nation.

History of clocks

Clocks were the first thing invented before wrist watches were even thought of. We don’t know for sure who first invented the clock, but there are references to both eastern and western inventors. Clocks first became popular in the 1800’s. This can be proven by the fact that a lot of companies appeared which started making clocks. As an example companies such as Heuer, Movado Tissot, Minerva and Zenith are still very well known and prosperous.

History of wrist watches

With this background I can tell you about the history of wrist watches. That happened in 1904 when one of the first aviators Alberto Santos-Dumont asked his friend Louis Cartier who was a watchmaker, to create a special type of watch that he could use when he was on his flights. It is important to mention that by this time wrist watches had already been designed by Patek Philippe in 1868. But at this time they were viewed as ladies wrist watches and were considered as a part of jewelry. By analogy Louis Cartier invented the Santos wrist watch. That was the first wrist watch which was designed for men, and especially for practical use. Wrist watches started to become popular during World War I. Soldiers realized that a wrist watch was more practical in battle than a pocket watch. Also, because the pocket watch was more of an item for the middle class, the working class soldiers usually possessed wrist watches which they brought with them to war. And now watches and clocks are no longer indicators of class anymore, but a device which is needed by everybody, And now we can compare different watches and choose a basic watch, a sport watch, or a luxury watch.

As you can see the history of watches is of interest and in general terms the history of the modern watch is quite recent. You will find that Maba Watches carries a wide selection of various wrist watches, pocket watches and  lockets:  http://mabawatches.com