« A Visual History of Watches »
Passion, fascination and attention to detail – no other feature defines a watch quite as aptly as its design. Arguably the most subjective quality of any timepiece, it conveys emotion, decides at first glance whether we like a watch or not, and gives watch enthusiasts plenty to talk about. It took centuries full of milestones, creative ideas and innovations for watch design to reach the diversity we enjoy today – so let’s set off on our journey through the captivating history of watches!
From Sundial to Pocket Watch: The Prehistory
The history of timekeeping began in antiquity, as the need for a structured day became ever more apparent – by around 3000 BC, the social order had already grown too complex: chaos and arbitrariness had to go. It was then that the Sumerians put a revolutionary idea into practice by planting a stick in the ground and tracking its shadow over the course of the day – the sundial was born. Seemingly worlds away from modern design, these instruments were defined by pure functionality. On closer inspection, however, it becomes clear that functional concepts still play a key role in watch design today – just think of the easy legibility and practical complications of many models.
Millennia of progress passed before the pocket watch, which was realized as early as the 15th century – before the time of Martin Luther. Tower clocks, pendulum clocks and many other innovations fundamentally changed the structure of the day and the way people lived. Unlike earlier forms of timekeeping, the pocket watch quickly became a status symbol that radiated wealth and nobility, making it far more than a merely functional instrument. As a result, the watchmaker, previously a pure craftsman, increasingly became a watch designer as well: artfully crafted pieces were meant to satisfy the wishes of an affluent clientele. The idea of the watch as a design object and piece of jewelry was born.
The Wristwatch – the Dawn of a New Era
Although Abraham Louis Breguet built the first wristwatches around 1810, the pocket watch remained dominant until the early 20th century. Initially worn by women as jewelry, early wristwatches were characterized by classic elegance and the use of the finest materials, such as diamond embellishments – to this day a hallmark of the utmost exclusivity. Only with World War I, when the pocket watch proved highly impractical and soldiers increasingly wore wristwatches, did the version for the wrist establish itself for good.
The 1920s were dominated by a style of watch design we would describe today as classically elegant: legendary models such as the first Rolex Oyster of 1926, the first Patek Philippe of 1920 and the revolutionary world’s first automatic watch by Englishman John Harwood featured Roman numerals, classic curves and solid gold cases – the precious metal has always stood for the top tier of watchmaking. But unconventional pieces with a strong character that endures to this day, such as the first Cartier Tank of 1920, also enriched the first generation of wristwatches. The watch designers of the time also placed great value on robustness – the Omega chronograph of 1915, for example, had to work even under the harsh conditions of World War I. So even 100 years ago, they knew how to skillfully combine style and practicality.
The Road to Diversity: Watches Throughout the 20th Century
The decades that followed, with their technical innovations in watchmaking, brought the industry a diversity of unprecedented scale: chronographs, dive watches and later digital models demanded the utmost precision from watchmakers and opened a new chapter in watch history. Now that there was a specialized watch for every field, design played an even more important role than before. What would a Submariner be without its distinctive bezel, or a Breitling Navitimer without its finely graduated, richly detailed dial?
No account would be complete without the quartz crisis, which put massive pressure on the traditional watch industry from the 1970s onward: mechanical models were almost entirely replaced by electronic timepieces, mostly from the Far East. Inexpensive quartz models turned the wristwatch into a popular accessory for everyone – resulting in unconventional designs and entirely new ideas. Hardly any manufacturer has shaped the mass market for modern pieces more since then than Swatch – a new watch every day, ideally matching your outfit, became the motto. In terms of looks, the quartz crisis thus brought a breath of fresh air to the established watch industry – and watch design has been more diverse than ever since.
Watch Design Today
Within a single century, the wristwatch has evolved from a utilitarian measuring instrument for military use into an artful accessory that even surpasses the splendor of traditional pocket watches. The watch industry offers the right masterpiece for every style, every taste and every need: classic designs such as the Rolex Cellini or the Blancpain Villeret recall the opulent beginnings of the 20th century. Ultra-modern professional models such as the Breitling Aerospace Evo or the smartwatches of all the manufactures, on the other hand, represent the technical progress of the 21st century. Design is therefore not an abstract element of a watch detached from all practical considerations – it always was, and still is, inseparable from functionality.
The range of watches available has never been as broad as it is today - so watch enthusiasts are living at exactly the right time and can look ahead with anticipation – who knows how far watch designers will have come in another 100 years? If creativity and innovation remain the driving forces of the watch industry, we can look forward to entirely new timepieces on our wrists that are still unimaginable today – perhaps even sooner than you might think.
