The History of the Wristwatch Part II

The first known design for a man's wristwatch was produced by French jewel house, Cartier. Cartier had been making women's wristwatches since the 1880's and Louis Cartier was approached by aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont to create a watch where he could have both hands free for his flying exploits. Cartier presented him with a watch that was to become the blueprint for watches from that day forward; designed for the left wrist, stem to the right, horns for attaching the strap to the watch and a clasp. Because of Santos-Dumont's international popularity, the trend for men's wristwatches was taking root.

During World War I, radium dials and hands that could be seen at night were developed and hardened mesh covers that helped prevent cracking during military activities. Waterbury Clock (later Timex) turned out hundreds of thousands of watches by war's end. Moisture, magnetism, dirt and spring fatigue were still problems that effected durability, but the wrist watch as a general purpose possession for men was established by the war veterans that continued to wear and demand them.

The 1920s would see many important wristwatch innovations. Heuer (now TAG Heuer) began making a reputation for precision in timing particularly aviation and auto racing, (a relationship the current company retains). They would, for the first time, combine a stopwatch and wristwatch utilizing the same dial in a single casing. John Harwood developed a self-winding mechanism he patented in 1923. Though a relative new-comer to the watchmaking industry,Rolex began marketing a water-resistant watch, the Oyster, in 1926. Tissot was responsible for an anti-magnetic design in 1929. Durable plastic crystals began replacing the more fragile glass in many of the manufacturer's models.

The 1930s, because of The Great Depression, would see more marketing changes and production efficiency than engineering improvements. Of notable interest was the licensing of Mickey Mouse to Ingersoll (Timex) by Disney which provided a relatively inexpensive luxury to many American families. Wristwatches were still prone to dirt, worn mechanisms, and spring fatigue. Even the very finest required periodic maintenance and suffered daily inaccuracies in precision.

Forthcoming - Part III