WRISTWATCH DESIGN EVOLUTION
Figure 52. Patek Philippe 1968 First Wristwatch
In the Guinness Book of World records, Patek Philippe is credited with having created the first wristwatch. It was an elaborate gold bracelet designed on commission for Countess Koscowicz of Hungary. While Breguet lays claim to having created the first wristwatch (Breguet archives list Breguet No. 2639, commissioned by the Queen of Naples on the 8th of June 1810 and completed on the 21st of December 1812. The design features a guilloche oblong-shaped case held by a wristlet of twister hair and gold thread),however, no public or private collection lists it on their inventory thus we can only hope that it will one day reappear. Whether the credit goes to the Breguet or Patek Philippe, we can be sure that watches at the point were made on a custom basis. The hefty commissions that gave birth to these pieces came from Royal Families and set a tone for watches as objects of luxury.
Figure 53. Girard-Perregaux 1884 German military watch.
Watches remained objects of luxury until 1880 when historian can confirm that the wristwatch was used on the battlefield as a safe means to read time and synchronize time without having to pull out their pocket watches. Girard-Perregaux was the first brand to produce large quantities of wristwatches for the German military in the 1880s.
Figure 54. Cartier 1904 Santos
Despite the watch having made its way on the wrists of men during times of war, in the early 1900s, wrist watches were typically worn by women while the pocket watch was considered the Gentleman’s timepiece. The Santos, with it’s design, imbibed a masculine character and the watch worn constantly by Santos-Dumont was favored not only by him but also by the many others who saw it on his wrist. The aviator was gifted with a flamboyant personality, already a celebrity across Europe, and by wearing the watch he made its design equally famous. Whenever people saw a picture of him, they were intrigued by the the thing strapped around his wrist. They were impressed when they discovered it was an innovative timepiece. The Cartier Santos may have been just a pocket watch strapped onto the wrist, but it still played a huge role in shifting notions of what the wristwatch was.
Graduation Project | Titan Vision Next: Explorations in Recrafting the Watch Proposition | 57
