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