History of Watches

The history of watches are long and colorful. Here's a brief overview of how watches came to be what they are.

At the begginning around 1500s, the watchmaking industry center was on Switzerland due to the church persecution. Several of the big names in Swiss luxury watches are French - they were the Protestant and Huguenot watchmakers who fled Roman Catholic France.

The Huguenots (who were followers of John Calvin) settled in Geneva. Many of the jewelry craftsmen who believed Calvin's philosophy (adornment was a vice) turned to watchmaking.

Genevan watches were reputed far and wide by the end of the 15th century. At around 1601, the Watchmakers' Guild of Geneva was established. Many of the original horological geniuses left crowded Geneva for the mountains for more than a century.

Daniel JeanRichard introduces division of labor in watchmaking.

On 1770s Abraham-Louis Perrelet creates the first "perpetual" watch.

On the year 1801, the tourbillon regulator was patented by Abraham Louis Breguet

On the year 1868, Antoine Patek and Jean Adrien Philippe make the world's first wrist watch.

Louis Cartier creates a ladies wristwatch with a diamond and gold bracelet on the year 1888.

On early 1900's, mass production of watches begins - focused on pocket watches.

The end of World War I aids the leap forward in affordability and popularity of wristwatches.

The automatic wristwatch was invented by John Hardwood on 1923.

On 1960's, the use of electronics were introduced. Also, Girard-Perregaux's development of the first high frequency mechanical watch, also called Swiss Quartz Movement.

On 1970's till this day, have seen the great recession in mechanical watches due to the quartz revolution but in the 1990's, mechanical watches made a comeback in appreciation.