History of the Wristwatch — From Pocket Watch to Icon
Jul 05, 2022
History of the Wristwatch — From Military Necessity to Horological Icon
From the start, wristwatches were almost exclusively worn by women, while men used pocket watches up until the early 20th century. The concept of the wristwatch goes back to the 16th century. It is believed the world’s first wristwatch was created by Abraham-Louis Breguet for Queen Caroline Murat of Naples in 1810.
However, Elizabeth I of England received a wristwatch from Robert Dudley in 1571 — described as an “arm watch” — 229 years earlier. By the mid-19th century, watchmakers were producing wristwatches as jewelry, often marketed as bracelets with a time function, made purely for women.
At Experts Watches, we carry certified authentic vintage watches from the brands that shaped this history — every piece backed by our 30-point CPO inspection.
The Military Origins of the Wristwatch
Wristwatches were first worn by military men towards the end of the 19th century. Synchronizing maneuvers during war was critical — and using a pocket watch on horseback or in the heat of battle was impractical. Officers began strapping watches to their wrists using custom leather straps.
The Garstin Company of London patented a ‘Watch Wristlet’ design in 1893. Officers in the British Army began using wristwatches during colonial campaigns in the 1880s, including the Anglo-Burma War of 1885. The Swiss company Dimier Frères & Cie patented a wristwatch design with the now-standard wire lugs in 1903.
Vintage Breitling Navitimer 806 — a milestone in aviation watchmaking
The Birth of Modern Watchmaking
In 1904, Brazilian aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont asked his friend Louis Cartier to design a watch useful during flight. The Cartier Santos remains one of the most iconic designs in watchmaking history.
Hans Wilsdorf moved to London in 1905 and set up Wilsdorf & Davis — the company that would become Rolex. His 1910 Rolex wristwatch became the first to receive Swiss chronometer certification. In 1927, Rolex proved their Oyster watches were waterproof by sending one across the English Channel on the wrist of swimmer Mercedes Gleitze — after 10 hours in the water, it still worked perfectly.
Vintage Rolex Oyster Speedking — a cornerstone of wristwatch history
World War I & the Mass Market
The First World War dramatically shifted public perception of the wristwatch. The creeping barrage artillery tactic required precise synchronization between gunners and infantry. Service watches were designed for trench warfare — luminous dials, unbreakable glass, robust cases. The British War Department began issuing wristwatches to combatants from 1917.
By the end of the War, almost all enlisted men wore a wristwatch. The British Horological Journal wrote in 1917: “The wristlet watch was little used by the sterner sex before the war, but now is seen on the wrist of nearly every man in uniform.” By 1930, the ratio of wrist- to pocket watches was 50 to 1.
Wristwatch Timeline: Key Milestones
- 1571 — Elizabeth I receives an “arm watch” from Robert Dudley
- 1810 — Breguet creates the first wristwatch for Queen Caroline Murat of Naples
- 1892 — Omega introduces their first wristwatch with minute-repeating
- 1905 — Wilsdorf & Davis (later Rolex) established in London
- 1908 — The Rolex brand name is created by Hans Wilsdorf
- 1913 — Seiko creates the first Japanese wristwatch
- 1917 — British War Department issues wristwatches to all soldiers
- 1923 — John Harwood patents the self-winding wristwatch
- 1927 — Rolex Oyster crosses the English Channel waterproof
- 1930 — Wristwatches outnumber pocket watches 50:1
- 1931 — Rolex introduces the perpetual rotor self-winding system
- 1932 — Omega offers the world’s first commercially available diver’s watch
- 1953 — Rolex launches the Submariner
- 1957 — Omega launches the Seamaster and Speedmaster lines
- 1961 — First wristwatch travels to space on Yuri Gagarin’s wrist
- 1965 — Omega Speedmaster becomes the official watch of NASA
- 1969 — Neil Armstrong walks on the moon wearing an Omega Speedmaster
Omega Speedmaster — the official watch of NASA and the first on the moon
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