Watches on Your Wrist

You are probably wearing a wrist watch right now because a pilot wanted to tell time while flying his plane over a hundred years ago.

The modern wristwatch was invented in 1904 when pioneering aviator Alberto Santos Dumont asked legendary French jeweler Louis Cartier for a timepiece he could use while flying an airplane. Cartier made Dumont a wristwatch and history was made. Wristwatches soon began to catch on because people use them to tell time while they were driving cards or flying airplanes.

During World War I many soldiers began wearing wristwatches because they were easier to use on the battlefield than pocket watches. By the 1920s, wristwatches had replaced pocket watches which couldn't be used while driving.

Until the 1950s wristwatches had to be wound up, watches would wind down much as clocks did. During the 1950s a few watches powered by a transistor or a tuning fork appeared. Modern watches use a quartz crystal resonator to tell time so they don't need a mechanical movement.

The digital watch was very popular in the 1970s and 80s but in recent years watches with clock faces have made a come back. Today some people have stopped wearing wristwatches because they can use their cell phones to tell the time.

Until very recently wristwatches were among the most valuable items average people carried. In the 20th Century when most men didn't wear jewelry an expensive watch was considered a status symbol that a man could wear.

In recent decades mass production of cheap watches in Asia has greatly reduced the value and prestige of wristwatches. Many people now regard wristwatches as a cheap throwaway good. However, expensive high end wristwatches like Rolex are still popular and sought after status symbols.

There is a huge online market for new and used watches. Many people go on line to sell older watches or buy new watches. Watches are one of the most popular items sold online because they are small and easy to ship.

Watches on Your Wrist