The First Wristwatch

It’s difficult to know for certain who created or invented the first wristwatch. It has been reported that Queen Elizabeth I received a watch on a bracelet as a gift from Robert Dudley in the late 1500s.  But who actually made the watch for the Queen is unknown.

If you go by the Guinness Book of World Records, the honor would go to Swiss watchmaker Patek Philippe in 1868 who was commissioned to make a watch for Countess Koscowicz of Hungary, but historical documents also point to Abraham-Louis Breguet. Breguet set up his watchmaking workshop in Paris in 1775 and was commission to make a wristwatch for the Queen of Naples in 1810. The last known documentation of the watch was when it was being repaired in 1855, but its current whereabouts is unknown.  Both documented dates for Breguet precede that of Patek Philippe’s commission in 1868.

The evolution of the wristwatch has changed overtime.  In the beginning, wristwatches were reserved for the wealthy and worn by women.  Not only was it a status symbol, but was primarily consider jewelry.  On the other hand, it was once considered improper for men to wear a wristwatch, but rather men wore pocket watches.  It wasn’t until after WWI when it became widely accepted for men to wear wristwatches.  During WWI, it was discovered that having a watch on the wrist, rather than in the pocket, made more sense during military action. 

And thus, the wristwatch went from being considered a luxury item to a wearable technological necessity. Today, the wristwatch continues to evolve in the form of smartwatches, while more traditional watches are, once again, seen as a luxury item.

Michael T