Although it may seem that watches have been around “forever,” they made their first appearance In the last quarter of the 13th century. Table clocks did not come into being until the 15th century. The “prototypes” were roughly-designed portable clocks encased in brass or bronze. When Jon Calvin banned the wearing of jewelry in 1541, jewelry makers focused their efforts and creativity on watchmaking, a permissible alternative, because it was considered utilitarian, not decorative. History tells us that the first pocket watch appeared in 1574.

The 17th century brought new advances to watchmaking. First came the pendulum clock developed by Dutch scientist Christian Huygens in 1656. Next, in 1680, came the minute hands followed by the addition of second hands in 1690. Albeit wristwatches were introduced throughout the 1800's, it was the pocket watch that was most popular.

It took World War One to change the future of the wristwatch, because it was an invaluable aid to aviators and artillery officers. It was WWI that brought the wristwatches center stage and made it the preferred form of time telling. As always, necessity was the Mother of Invention as researchers feverishly worked to perfect the wristwatch. By 1998 worldwide production of watches reached almost 1.2 billion.
The average person owns between three and four watches and more than one third of watch owners own more than one fine watch. For most of us it’s hard to imagine life without a watch.