Watches are an important part of our day to day lives and have become an essential part of timekeeping.
Who invented the watch?
The first watch was invented by locksmith and inventor Peter Henlein in Nuremberg, Germany in the year 1505.
The watch was not worn on the wrist, but was an ornamental piece to be worn pinned to clothing or attached to a chain.
These watches were known as ‘Pomander Watches’ and were spherical in shape and made of copper. They were a combination of German engineering combined with Oriental design influences.
Were Pomander watches popular?
Pomander watches were time consuming to produce and extremely expensive. As this was the first of a long tradition of watchmaking, the original Pomander watches needed many technical adjustments. The watch needed to be wound several times a day and was often incorrect in its timekeeping by hours.
How did the watch evolve?
Styles changed in the 17th century with the introduction of the pocket watch. However, the wristwatch became popular towards the end of the 19th century when army men began wearing them during the war to ensure synchronised timings before they went into battle.