A Brief History Of Watches
Let us know about the history of watches!
What is a Clock?
The word clock comes from words that mean Bell, like glocker in German, and an old word 'Horologium' which is what gives us the word Horology - the study of timekeeping.
It is often assumed that a clock means some kind of mechanical device. For thousands of years, humans have needed to mark time to make sense of the passage of time, which is a universal activity throughout history.
More than 4000 years ago, Egyptians were fond of using duo decimal mathematics, which is all about the number 12 - as they found it was easy to work with, so we had 12 months in the year, 24 hours in a day and 60 minutes in an hour (which is also a duo decimal number).
The first mechanical clock was invented in 1275 in England as a minute-repeater, with no dial, at the Salisbury Cathedral. Italy followed this development with three new clocks; an astronomical clock, an hourly chime, and a more robust version following the hours, sunrise, and days of the month.
Daylight Savings
Benjamin Franklin - an inventor, philosopher and American political heavyweight - first proposed the idea in a letter he wrote when in Paris in 1784. However, the idea took off when a builder called William Willett campaigned in Britain to change the clocks. He was annoyed that his golfing would be interrupted by the sun going down! Therefore he wanted to change the law to make sure there would be more light in the evening. Did you know William Willet was the great-great-grandfather of Coldplay frontman Chris Martin?
Although William wasn't successful, during World War One, the German army turned the clocks forward as a way of conserving energy. Many European governments followed suit shortly afterwards - including the UK.
Wristwatches
When did we first start wearing Wristwatches?
At the time watches were created, it was the fashion for men to have a pocket watch. Pocket watches generally have a chain attached to allow them to be secured to a waistcoat or belt loop, and to prevent them from being dropped.
Wristwatches were originally jewellery worn by wealthy women. The first woman to wear a wristwatch was Elizabeth I, which was gifted to her by Robert Dudley, her suspected lover. In the 19th century, wristwatches were quite popular among women cycling and horse riding.
Wristwatches were first worn by military men towards the end of the nineteenth century when the importance of synchronizing manoeuvres during the war without potentially revealing the plan to the enemy through signalling was increasingly recognized. It became clear that using pocket watches while in the heat of battle was impractical. Officers began to strap the watches to their wrists to keep both hands free.
Chronograph Watches
In addition to standard timekeeping, chronograph watches have distinct dials to keep precise track of seconds, minutes and hours.
More than a stopwatch, chronograph watches are a mechanical feat deserving of the admiration of watch enthusiasts, and are also undeniably stylish!
Wristwatches Of Today
Today, brands continue to experiment with new materials to create thinner, lightweight watches in both traditional watch models and newer designs.
Check out this stunning Nomination watch we've styled below
At Grace & Co, we have a wide variety of watches. You can find them here. This was all about the history of watches!
FAQs
Peter Henlein (sometimes spelt Henle or Hele) (1485–August 1542), a locksmith and clockmaker from Nuremberg, Germany, is widely regarded as the inventor of the watch.
The first timepieces to be worn, manufactured in the 16th century in the German cities of Nuremberg and Augsburg, were intermediate in size between clocks and watches.
According to historical records, Abraham-Louis Breguet constructed the first wristwatch for Queen Caroline Murat of Naples in 1810. This resulted in a more modern model. At the time, males wore their timepieces on a chain tied to their pockets, and ladies wore them around their necks.