A wrist watch is a beautiful and functional accessory that many people wear almost without taking off. The history of their origin is quite interesting; it took almost a hundred years for their distribution around the world.
Instructions
Step 1
Some researchers believe that the first watches of such plans were made by special order of Napoleon as a gift to his sister Caroline Murat, who was the queen of Naples. This wristwatch was made of silver and has a beautiful dial with Arabic numerals. The watch itself was flat and round, and its bracelet was made of the finest strands of gold and human hair. It is known that this unusual object was created for almost two years until December 1812.
Step 2
It should be noted that at the beginning of the 19th century, the watch was worn exclusively on a chain that was attached to a special vest pocket. Thus, the watch was an integral part of the costume, representing a practical and elegant accessory. Women, on the other hand, did not use watches to decorate their wardrobe at all, this is not surprising, because the fashion of that time did not imply the use of any functional details in the women's wardrobe - the outfits of aristocrats were themselves works of art.
Step 3
By the end of the 19th century, women turned their attention to wristwatches. They began to be ordered from eminent jewelers and watchmakers. At that time, wristwatches were more like precious bracelets made of gold, silver and precious stones. Usually they were made quite massive and wide. The more interesting, massive and pretentious the wrist watches were, the higher the status of their owner was. Of course, with such an approach, mass production of wristwatches was out of the question. Due to the fact that such functional jewelry was associated exclusively with women at that time, no decent man could appear in society with a watch on his wrist.
Step 4
The first men to change watches on a chain for wristwatches were the military. It happened at the very end of the 19th century. The officers found it very inconvenient to take watches out of their pockets in order to find out the exact time, so they began to fasten the watch with a rope and rings on their wrists. Mass production of wristwatches began when the German army ordered a large batch (2000 pieces) from one of the many Swiss companies. For a long time, wristwatches were used mainly by men of dangerous professions - military men, sailors and pilots.
Step 5
It should be noted that, despite the obvious convenience, wristwatches gained popularity among men of peaceful professions and replaced pocket watches only by the first third of the 20th century. The invention of the quartz movement contributed to the final popularization of wristwatches. This made it possible to significantly reduce the cost of manufacturing watches, but at the same time to make them extremely accurate. Since then, wristwatches have ceased to be considered a luxury item.
