| Over the centuries clocks have been used as a status | | | | Movado is the perfect example of these new designs |
| symbol by those who wear them. Their precision, | | | | when it came out with the "Polyplan" shaped watch. |
| elegance and convenience are just some of the | | | | Then came the famously and cryptically called "clock |
| attributes that clocks and watches represent. Often | | | | reference n. 1593" by Patek Philippe which was a |
| they are bought purely for their aesthetic looks. and at | | | | rectangular shaped watch. |
| other times they are bought because of their technical | | | | From 1913 onwards more and more watches started |
| attributes like being precise to the last second or even | | | | to be developed in all shapes and styles. From the |
| millisecond. This is what makes clocks and watches so | | | | "gondola" watch of Patek Phillipe to Louis Cartiers' |
| collectible and in some cases they can command high | | | | "Tank"; named thus because it was inspired by the |
| sums of money. | | | | shape of English armored cars of the time. These are |
| Whether you collect the new high precision watches | | | | watches which are very much sought after. There |
| or ones that come from a past era, the fact is that | | | | were other numerous watch makers like Audemars |
| over the years this hobby has become a high turnover | | | | Piguet, Vacheron Constantin who along with Patek |
| business. And collecting watches is in a lot of circles | | | | Philippe and Cartier came out with many other designs |
| regarded as a wise form of investing. | | | | which added other features to the watches like lunar |
| At the start of the last century the clocks that were | | | | phases, month and day most of which are found in |
| available for men or women were firstly pocket | | | | modern watches now. |
| clocks, and then clocks that held by a pendant | | | | Of course we could not mention wrist watches |
| attached to the lining of jackets or corsets. The | | | | without mentioning the most famous of them all: the |
| advent of war, industrialization, and the development of | | | | Rolex watch. In the 1920s Rolex debuted in the world |
| the sport activities, brought over new trends which | | | | of wrist watches with the elegant Rolex Prince and its |
| extended to not only the way we dressed, but also | | | | revolutionary "dual time" feature made famous for |
| how we carried our clocks. | | | | having the "seconds sector" larger than that of the |
| It is said that it was a nanny who invented wrist | | | | minutes. At the same time Jaeger Le Coultre |
| watches at around the end of the 19th century, who | | | | produced an even more advanced piece called the |
| fixed a clock around her wrist by using a silk band. The | | | | "Reverse", also very revolutionary in that it could be |
| first watches to be made were in fact smaller models | | | | turn 180 degrees within its case, thus protecting the |
| of pocket clocks that were fitted with a leather strap. | | | | crystal and dial. It became incredibly popular and was |
| Once this product hit the market newer designs | | | | only prevented from achieving even greater success |
| started to be produced based around this same | | | | by the recession of the 1930s and the advent of world |
| concept. | | | | war 2. |
| It was Louis Cartier who first made the kind of | | | | These early watches of the 1910s to 1930s are what |
| watches we see today when he created a watch for | | | | define all the makes of watches that we see and |
| a flying pioneer hero by the name Santos Dumont. By | | | | wear today. This short article has only scratched the |
| 1911 this same type of watch was on general sale. | | | | surface of what is a very vast subject which has |
| That same type of watch became the blueprint of | | | | many more watch makers with diverse and |
| what wrist watches look like to this day. | | | | revolutionary designs. However it is makers like Rolex, |
| Soon after the design of wrist "clocks" began to | | | | Cartier, Jaeger Le Coultre and the others mentioned |
| diversify away from the classical round shape that | | | | that are amongst the most valuable and collectible, and |
| had been in vogue up until that time. From the Cartier | | | | should you ever be so lucky to get one then make |
| classical wrist watch other makes of watch started to | | | | sure you hang on to it - preferably to your wrist. |
| emerge which were characterized by their shape. | | | | |