To know the history of how traditional watches were made, we have to go to Europe back in the 16th century, where the first evolution of the timepiece started with portable clocks that are spring-driven. Moreover, the word “watch” was derived from the old word woecce, which translates to “watchmen” because they’re the ones who track the worker’s shifts.
Back when it was still peaceful and everything was always simple, a conventional wall clock was invented. When the first world war broke through, the army developed a piece of equipment that gained its soldiers the advantage by carefully administering their tactics to win the battle. However, there’s more to the story than what we already know.
The 1910s
Before the uprising of the luxurious traditional watches of today, such as the Omega Seamaster, we first look into how it all began. It started prior to the First World War breaking out. Soldiers preferred an accessory that can withstand extreme weather conditions while being easily readable, thus creating the first-ever pocket watch.
Carrying a pocket watch has been belittled as a feminine accessory back in the day. However, it all changed when the first World War ended. Thus, it resulted in the increasing popularity of pocket watches. It later evolved into an accessory that can be strapped on to your wrist.
The 1920s
This generation was called the roaring 20s and fashion has recently become part of the culture. Thus making wristwatches having a genre of their own in 1920. As one of the trailblazers, Louis Cartier designed his first-ever Cartier Tank back in 1917. The model watch initially started its production in 1919, but it was given its elongated shape two years later.
The 1930s
The style of Art Deco provided an influence on how the wristwatches were designed in the ‘30s. With its engraved parallel lines with a rectangular case, the Reverso was born with LeCoultre being one of the producers of this particular timepiece.
The 1940s
In the 40s, when the Second World War broke through, the military has influenced again how the timepieces are designed. IWC was one of the companies that created a watch for pilots. They created the Big Pilot’s Watch for the Air Force of the German Army, which was simple and easy to read because of its black dials and big cases.
The 1950s
The most memorable time of this history of timepieces is when Rolex created a watch that is both functional and luxurious. Since making its first public appearance back in 1953, the Rolex Submariner had become the timepiece that influenced the world of watches. It even got to the point where it’s one of the most copied watch designs.
The 1960s
The ’60s was an iconic time in history, and most notably, in the history of timepieces. Because it was back in 1969 that a rocket was launched to the moon and the first man sets foot on its surface. Moreover, the 60s also became iconic to the history of watches as it was when the first watch was brought to the moon -- the Omega Speedmaster.
The 1970s
The ‘70s was the era that the Quartz dominated the world of watches with its glowing indicators that later on evolved into LEDs. The Heuer initially launched its timepiece in 1975 which was the Chronosplit Chronograph
The 1980s
It was the 1980s that the word “fun” was applied to the world of watches, starting with the company called Swatch. They started the trend of releasing diverse designs for anyone to change anytime, depending on the look you’re going. Swatch watches are made with plastic; however, they persuaded people to buy watches that aren’t for only reading time.
The 1990’s
It was back in the ‘90s that the mechanical watch started its revival with modern technologies added to its classic design. Moreover, Lange & Sohne created the Lange 1, which had an off-center dial that was later on mimicked by other manufacturers.
The 2000’s
There are many new designs of timepieces in the year 2000; however, it’s very rare to see a design that gained the interest of the people. This was because the most famous watch at the moment was Hublot’s Big Bang. The design of the timepiece in question was a wide array of different materials, which was made possible by the structure of its case.
The 2010’s
It was the year 2010 that the trend of skeletonizing a watch started, it was attractive and alluring to see the inner materials of the timepiece as it functions. However, the dials were slowly diminishing after 2010.
This era was full of technological advancements that were applied to timepieces as it was also the time that digital smartwatches were initially released. The watch has its mechanism to perform almost similar to a smartphone, such as receiving messages, accepting calls, checking your pulse, checking your schedule, and so many more features.
What to Expect In The Future
The future of the traditional watch is as golden as it can be. As the world evolves while accompanied by the ever-evolving technology, the new generation of timepieces is the one people should look out for as the new decade approaches. People are expecting new timepieces that adapt to the needs of an average person or athlete.
You shouldn’t be discouraged if you own an old generation timepiece, because as the people say, “Nothing beats the classics.” Moreover, there is a rise in the number of people collecting timepieces that are either really old or have a background story to it, which marks the watches from the first generation as an alluring valuable collector’s item.
Takeaway
From the very first wearable timepiece paved the way to the modern and popular watches that we all know and love. Its design has always been evolving depending on the situation or a particular need. Moreover, the watch industries are adapting to the ever-evolving innovations of technology, thus resulting in more timepieces with state-of-the-art features.
