The first ever wristwatch was made in _____ ?

On July 9, 1916, The New York Times “Until recently,” the paper observed, “the bracelet watch has been looked upon by Americans as more or less of a joke. Vaudeville artists and moving-picture actors have utilized it as a funmaker, as a ‘silly ass’ fad.” But the wristwatch was a “silly-ass fad” no more. “The telephone and signal service, which play important parts in modern warfare, have made the wearing of watches by soldiers obligatory,” the Times observed, two years into World War I. “The only practical way in which they can wear them is on the wrist, where the time can be ascertained readily, an impossibility with the old style pocket watch.” Improvements in communications technologies had enabled militaries to more precisely coordinate their maneuvers, and coordination required soldiers to discern the time at a glance. Rifling through your pocket for a watch was not advisable in the chaos of the trenches. European soldiers were outfitting the device with This month brought strange echoes of that history. In China, where the It was a reminder that advances in time-telling technology aren’t exclusively about finding a better way to tell time. They’re often about something else, too, even if that something else influences the perception of time itself. Over the past century or so, people have kept time mainly in their pockets, then on their wrists, and now back in their pockets. If the Apple Watch and similar smartwatches succeed, the wrist could experience a resurgence....

In tribute to the first wristwatch created for the Queen of Naples in 1810, Breguet reinvents the ladies' watch in a classic case with a contemporary profile. The various models in the Reine de Naples collection radiate a refined blend of expertise, elegance and precious materials, lending their aesthetic backdrop to an array of horological complications, art and jewellery. It is ironic, moreover, that one of Breguet's most brilliant innovations, and indisputably one of his most useful – the wristwatch, no less – should have been completely ignored by his contemporaries. And yet there is documentary evidence to prove beyond any doubt that, in response to a commission from the Queen of Naples June 8 th 1810, Breguet conceived and made the first wristwatch ever known, the Breguet watch number 2639. With the acquisition of thirty-four clocks and watches from 1808 up to 1814, the ambitious and very beautiful Queen of Naples easily took pride of place among Breguet's best clients. Let's travel to Paris where the historic archives of Maison Breguet are preciously conserved at Place Vendôme. The register of commissions, as they were already known, lists the special orders placed by customers who had failed to find their heart's desire among the timepieces proposed. This fascinating book is filled with all manner of complications and fantasies which Abraham- Louis Breguet agreed to make for his patrons, among them many powerful and famous figures. On page 29, we learn that the Que...

The wristwatch is one of the most fascinating inventions in all of humanity’s technological advancement. It is both relatively new in the annals of history, and yet by modern technology standards, almost a relic of the past. Throughout its history, it has been at times an absolute necessity, at others a mere Although the clockmaker Peter Henlein from Nuremberg is often credited with inventing the very first watch in the 15th century, other clockmakers were creating similar “clock watches”. The first wristwatch, as we know them today, was the Even today, when the simple Table of Contents • • • • • • • The first wristwatch Clocks predate the Common Era, with the existence of water clocks and sundials extending back well into the time period known as “Before Christ.” It wasn’t until the 13 th century A.D. that the first mechanical clock was invented , a monumental achievement that would set the stage for the first watch a few centuries later. Pocket watches were invented well before wristwatches, with the first being created in 1574 in Switzerland. The maker of this watch is unknown, but its depiction of Saint George on one side and the crucifixion on the other is a reflection of the religious fervency of the era. John Calvin, the reformer, had banned the wearing of jewelry, leading Swiss jewelers to scramble to learn a new profession. The first pocket watches only displayed the hour. Minute hands were added in 1680, and second hands came about a decade after that. Compared t...

Peter Henlein - The First Watches After centuries and millennia’s of using analogue watch designs that used movement of the celestial bodies and flow of water to calculate passage of time, modern human civilization finally achieved mechanical and industrial environment in which precise Su Sung’s masterful water clock from 1092). Even though pages of history have forgotten about many watchmakers and innovators before him, modern scientific community has accepted that Peter Henlein, clockmaker from the Nuremberg, Germany, is the father of the modern clock and the originator of the entire clock making industry that we know today. Peter Henlein was born in 1485, and very little is known about his early life. It is most probable that he became apprentice as a repair man and locksmith. His appearance in history books start on September 7, 1504 after he was involved in a brawl in which his friend and fellow locksmith George Glaser was killed. Peter immediately went to the local Franciscan monastery where he found safety. Four years later he returned to the Nuremberg where he became one of the most famous locksmiths, who was especially praised for his ability to create small spring-powered brass clock which were then very rare and expensive. With such popularity, it was not strange that local and distant nobility contacted him on regular basis, demanding ever more beautiful and smaller clock designs. As far historical records are concerned, Peter’s Even though his spring designs w...

Peter Henlein - The First Watches After centuries and millennia’s of using analogue watch designs that used movement of the celestial bodies and flow of water to calculate passage of time, modern human civilization finally achieved mechanical and industrial environment in which precise Su Sung’s masterful water clock from 1092). Even though pages of history have forgotten about many watchmakers and innovators before him, modern scientific community has accepted that Peter Henlein, clockmaker from the Nuremberg, Germany, is the father of the modern clock and the originator of the entire clock making industry that we know today. Peter Henlein was born in 1485, and very little is known about his early life. It is most probable that he became apprentice as a repair man and locksmith. His appearance in history books start on September 7, 1504 after he was involved in a brawl in which his friend and fellow locksmith George Glaser was killed. Peter immediately went to the local Franciscan monastery where he found safety. Four years later he returned to the Nuremberg where he became one of the most famous locksmiths, who was especially praised for his ability to create small spring-powered brass clock which were then very rare and expensive. With such popularity, it was not strange that local and distant nobility contacted him on regular basis, demanding ever more beautiful and smaller clock designs. As far historical records are concerned, Peter’s Even though his spring designs w...

In tribute to the first wristwatch created for the Queen of Naples in 1810, Breguet reinvents the ladies' watch in a classic case with a contemporary profile. The various models in the Reine de Naples collection radiate a refined blend of expertise, elegance and precious materials, lending their aesthetic backdrop to an array of horological complications, art and jewellery. It is ironic, moreover, that one of Breguet's most brilliant innovations, and indisputably one of his most useful – the wristwatch, no less – should have been completely ignored by his contemporaries. And yet there is documentary evidence to prove beyond any doubt that, in response to a commission from the Queen of Naples June 8 th 1810, Breguet conceived and made the first wristwatch ever known, the Breguet watch number 2639. With the acquisition of thirty-four clocks and watches from 1808 up to 1814, the ambitious and very beautiful Queen of Naples easily took pride of place among Breguet's best clients. Let's travel to Paris where the historic archives of Maison Breguet are preciously conserved at Place Vendôme. The register of commissions, as they were already known, lists the special orders placed by customers who had failed to find their heart's desire among the timepieces proposed. This fascinating book is filled with all manner of complications and fantasies which Abraham- Louis Breguet agreed to make for his patrons, among them many powerful and famous figures. On page 29, we learn that the Que...

On July 9, 1916, The New York Times “Until recently,” the paper observed, “the bracelet watch has been looked upon by Americans as more or less of a joke. Vaudeville artists and moving-picture actors have utilized it as a funmaker, as a ‘silly ass’ fad.” But the wristwatch was a “silly-ass fad” no more. “The telephone and signal service, which play important parts in modern warfare, have made the wearing of watches by soldiers obligatory,” the Times observed, two years into World War I. “The only practical way in which they can wear them is on the wrist, where the time can be ascertained readily, an impossibility with the old style pocket watch.” Improvements in communications technologies had enabled militaries to more precisely coordinate their maneuvers, and coordination required soldiers to discern the time at a glance. Rifling through your pocket for a watch was not advisable in the chaos of the trenches. European soldiers were outfitting the device with This month brought strange echoes of that history. In China, where the It was a reminder that advances in time-telling technology aren’t exclusively about finding a better way to tell time. They’re often about something else, too, even if that something else influences the perception of time itself. Over the past century or so, people have kept time mainly in their pockets, then on their wrists, and now back in their pockets. If the Apple Watch and similar smartwatches succeed, the wrist could experience a resurgence....

The wristwatch is one of the most fascinating inventions in all of humanity’s technological advancement. It is both relatively new in the annals of history, and yet by modern technology standards, almost a relic of the past. Throughout its history, it has been at times an absolute necessity, at others a mere Although the clockmaker Peter Henlein from Nuremberg is often credited with inventing the very first watch in the 15th century, other clockmakers were creating similar “clock watches”. The first wristwatch, as we know them today, was the Even today, when the simple Table of Contents • • • • • • • The first wristwatch Clocks predate the Common Era, with the existence of water clocks and sundials extending back well into the time period known as “Before Christ.” It wasn’t until the 13 th century A.D. that the first mechanical clock was invented , a monumental achievement that would set the stage for the first watch a few centuries later. Pocket watches were invented well before wristwatches, with the first being created in 1574 in Switzerland. The maker of this watch is unknown, but its depiction of Saint George on one side and the crucifixion on the other is a reflection of the religious fervency of the era. John Calvin, the reformer, had banned the wearing of jewelry, leading Swiss jewelers to scramble to learn a new profession. The first pocket watches only displayed the hour. Minute hands were added in 1680, and second hands came about a decade after that. Compared t...