| The year 1504 marked a major milestone in the | | | | while in battle. Leading watchmakers supplied military |
| history of timekeeping. It was then when Peter | | | | personnel with durable, accurate timepieces with large |
| Henlein invented the first portable clock in Nuremberg, | | | | numerals, luminous hands and markers, and a metal |
| Germany. | | | | grid over the dial for protection. At the end of the |
| Those first watches were usually either carried in a | | | | war, these victorious troops arrived home with |
| pants or vest pocket attached to the end of a chain, | | | | souveneir trench watches, named for the trench |
| or they were worn as a pendant attached to the | | | | warfare they were used in. Furthermore, in 1917 |
| end of a chain or a cord suspended around the neck. | | | | Louis Cartier designed the Cartier tank watch-named |
| Watches worn on the wrist made sporadic | | | | so to discribe the newly introduced armored cars on |
| appearance as early as the late 1500s. Queen | | | | the Western Front. Consequently, the public's |
| Elizabeth I is said to have worn a watch encased in a | | | | perception was quickly changed-wristwatches |
| bracelet. One of the first people known to have | | | | became the standard for both women and men. |
| worn a wristwatch is the French methamatician and | | | | From then on, wristwatches were continuously |
| philosopher, Blaise Pascal (1623-1662). He attached his | | | | improved and modernized. New styles, models, and |
| pocket watch to his wrist with a cord. | | | | shapes were constantly introduced by the many |
| The first wristwatch was actually invented in 1868 by | | | | leading brands. In the 1920s many more important |
| Swiss watchmaker, Patek Phillipe. As interesting as it | | | | wristwatch features were introduced. Heuer (now |
| may seem, the wristwatch was not fully accepted | | | | TAG Heuer) began making a reputation for precise |
| by society at first. Wristlets, as they were called, | | | | timing particularly in aviation and auto racing. They |
| were worn only by women as a fashion accessory. | | | | utilized one dial and a single casing for the stopwatch |
| Delicate, hand-made, gem-encrusted wristwatches | | | | and wristwatch they combined. John Harwood |
| were worn by women of royalty as an expensive | | | | developed a self-winding mechanism which he |
| jewelry piece. At that time, it was considered more | | | | patented in 1923. In 1926, Rolex, though a relative |
| of a "passing fancy" rather than a serious timepiece, | | | | new-comer to the watchmaking industry, invented a |
| since few believed wristlets could be made to | | | | water-resistant watch, the Oyster. Tissot created an |
| acheive any level of accuracy, nor could they endure | | | | anti-magnetic design in 1929, and the fragile glass |
| the rigors of daily human activities. | | | | covering the dial of many models were replaced with |
| In 1904, French jeweler, Louis Cartier, created the | | | | a more durable plastic crystal. |
| first man's wristwatch. Cartier designed the watch to | | | | At the same time, some innovations developed in |
| aid his pal, Mr. Alberto Santos-Dumont-a Brazillion | | | | relation to the watch mechanism. First came the |
| Aviation Pioneer, who found the pocket watch to be | | | | automatic watch, which did not need to be wound |
| very inconveniet and impractical while flying. Cartier's | | | | manually. Then came the quartz watch in the late |
| watch, named the Santos, was designed with a | | | | 1920s. |
| leather strap, a distinctive square bezel, and a buckle. | | | | Today you can find wristwatches of any color, |
| This watch became the blueprint for watches | | | | shape, and style to suit and event, activity, or |
| designed to this very day. | | | | wardrobe. With today's modern technology, when |
| The history of the wristwatch took a turn with the | | | | clocks are installed in all cars, ipods, and cell phones, |
| approach of WWI. The military leaders demanded all | | | | wristwatches are not neccesarily worn as a |
| servicemen to wear wristwatches which would | | | | timekeeping device, but rather as a symbol of status |
| enable them to tell time with a quick glance rather | | | | and style-similiar to what it was when it all began. |
| than to have to dig into pockets-which was crucial | | | | |