subject: History Facts: The Woman Wrist Watch [print this page] History tells us that the first wristwatch was presented to Elisabeth I by Earl of Leicester back in 1572. The watch is said to have been decorated with diamonds and was hanging from an armlet.
References of wristwatches date back to the 1700s. In museums there are many collections of bracelet watches and ring watches that are both valuable and unique. The bracelet watch dates from the 19th century and it is the oldest specimen known. The watches used in the past very in most part decorative and not very practical. The functional watches were quite large and easy to recognize. The decorative watches were heavily adorned with diamonds, precious stones and sometimes even pearls.
At the beginning, wristwatches were only manufactured for women. In the 1880s the main inspiration was jewelry but the dial was no longer covered. Also in the 19th century the jewelry inspiration remained the major factor that influenced the wristwatch.
The models that has a precious gemstone in the middle of the dial suggested that they were mostly ornamental. These watches usually had a smaller timepiece hidden in it. There were firms that decided to bet all their capital on producing ladies wrist-watches even if some countries rejected them at first.
The mass production of watches began in 1902. From this point forward they developed and started to be more than decorative items. The mass-production watches that were first distributed were simple and purely functional. As time went by women's watches managed to embrace both the practical side and the decorating side. The watch became a fashion statement and so, designers and manufacturers began to let their imagination run free.
In our days, the watch is seen as a statement of culture, education and wealth. It is up to the persons wearing it to decide what they want to say to the others.
