(Henlein, by the way, was a fascinating historical figure: he was married three times and at one point was involved in a brawl in which a fellow locksmith was killed. Bearing only an hour hand, and not particularly dependable in their accuracy, these devices (below) were designed more as ornamental jewelry for the noble classes than as reliable timekeeping tools. They consisted of iron or steel movements inside drum-shaped, ornamental brass boxes several inches in diameter, with hinged grillwork covers, that were suspended by chains and worn around the neck. The “clock-watches” that Henlein made in his shop in Nuremberg in the 1500s were the first timekeepers to be worn on the body. Often regarded as the “inventor of the watch” is the 15th-Century German clockmaker and locksmith Peter Henlein (1485 - 1542), a name probably unfamiliar to many modern watch enthusiasts. These large, stationary clocks, in turn, were the forerunners of portable timepieces that one could carry on his or her person, or what we today refer to as watches. These relatively primitive devices eventually gave rise to inventions like the hourglass in Medieval Europe, the first mechanical clocks powered by mainsprings in the 15th Century, and the pendulum clock, invented by Christian Huygens (depicted below) in 1656 from a design by Galileo Galilei. Modern timekeeping devices can all be traced back to the sundials and water clocks developed by the ancient Egyptians and used by the early Babylonians, Greeks, and Chinese. Here we briefly explore the watch’s origins and its development into a modern-day accessory and tool. The history of the watch, however, has roots that run far deeper, to the very beginnings of timekeeping by humans. Learn more here.Įven though it seems like watches have been around forever - at least judging by the ongoing heat of the pre-owned and vintage market and its influence on modern design - they are actually a relatively modern addition to human civilization, and have only been widely worn on the wrist for a little over 100 years. 0% interest for up to 24 months available on select brands.
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