History of Timekeeping

History of Timekeeping

by David Barth
written March 29, 2003

History of Timekeeping

B.C. 742
First recorded mention of the sundial.

A.D. 330
Sand glasses known to be in use.

1000
The first escapement.

1368
Clock making began in England.

1500
Mainspring invented by Peter Henlein, a locksmith of Nurenberg.

1511
The first portable clock (by Peter Henlein).

1581
Galileo discovered the properties of the pendulum.

1675
Royal Observatory at Greenwich founded.

1730
The first cuckoo clock was constructed in Germany.

1780
The hair spring was invented by Breguet, in Paris.

1875
The first alarm clock appeared in Germany.

1900
First wrist watches appeared.

1904
Cartier makes a watch for Alberto Santos Dumont. The watch is sold commercially in 1911 and is still one of Cartier's most popular models and much imitated.

1905
Hans Wilsdorf starts the Rolex Watch Company together with his brother in law. The company was originally named Wilsdorf & Davis. The Rolex name was not officially registered until 1908.

1906
Omega introduces the first minute repeater wristwatch. The movement was made by Audemars Piguet.

1912
Movado introduces the "Polyplan", the first wristwatch with a curved movement and case. There were other watches with curved cases, but a curved movement was a new technical achievement.

1914
Eterna introduces the first wristwatch with an alarm.
The first radio time signal was transmitted from the Eiffel Tower in Paris and in Nordeich, Germany.

1916
Summer Time first introduced.

1917
Cartier introduces the "Tank" watch, which still enjoys continued success until today.

1918
In Japan, the Shakosha Watch Company opened. This would become Citizen in 1931.

1920
Charles Edouard Guillaume wins the Nobel prize for inventing Invar and Elinvar. The composition of these metals causes them to be almost unaffected by temperature variations. The metals would be used for balance springs, thus greatly improving accuracy.
Art Deco styles become popular as wristwatches gain in popularity and pocket watch sales decline.

1923
John Harwood is the first to mass produce a self winding wristwatch. The watch was set by rotating the bezel and had no crown.

1924
In Tokyo, the Seiko brand name is launched by Kinttaro Hattori. It was formerly named "Timekeeper" and watch making was started in 1881.

1925
The first year to use Daylight Savings Time.

1926
Rolex introduces the first waterproof case called the "Oyster". It features a "Twinlock" crown that screws down to keep out moisture.

1927
Mercedes Gleitze swims across the English Channel wearing a Rolex. This was the first great publicity coup for Rolex. There would be many more as Rolex became the most recognized luxury watch brand in history.

1928
Jaeger-LeCoultre introduces the "Atmos", an amazing clock that runs on changes in temperature. A temperature change of just one degree suffices to keep the clock running for up to two days.

1929
The quartz crystal clock is invented by W.A. Marrison.
Jaeger-LeCoultre introduces the world's tiniest watch movement. It measures 14mm x 4.8mm x 3.4mm and weighs 1 gram.
First anti magnetic watch created by Tissot.

1931
Jaeger-LeCoultre introduces the "Reverso". Developed for polo players, the case flips over to expose the back and protect the crystal. One of the world's first sports watches. Today the Reverso is a whole collection of watches including a tourbillon, minute repeater, a double watch, jewelry style and others.
Rolex introduces a self winding model called the "Perpetual".

1932
Luigi Altobelli repairs first watch in new Chicago location.
Patek Philippe introduces their first "Calatrava" model.

1933
Advances in metallurgy make Nivarox the metal of choice for hairsprings. It is harder than Elinvar, anti magnetic, and non rusting. These hair springs come in various grades, with Nivarox 1 being the best. Nivarox is still used in many good watches today.
Ingersoll introduces the "Mickey Mouse" watch. This is not the first comic character watch, but definitely the most popular. Its great success inspired many other watch companies to offer their own character watches and they are very collectible today.

1935
Gruen introduces the "Curvex". The great success of this model helps fuel the explosion of curved watches that will go into the 1940s.

1936
Universal Geneve introduces the "Compax" chronograph. This was the first chronograph with an hour counter and its style helped launch the popularity of all chronographs.

1937
Quartz crystal clocks introduced at the Royal Greenwich Observatory.
Edmond Jaeger joins Antoine LeCoultre to form the Jaeger-LeCoultre company in the famous Vallée de Joux in the Jura mountains north-west of Geneva.

1942
Breitling introduces the "Chronomat".

1945
Rolex introduces their first "Datejust".

1948
Luigi Altobelli begins to repair watches in new North Hollywood location.
Omega introduces their first "Seamaster".

1948
Eterna is the first to mount the self winding rotor on tiny ball bearings to reduce friction.

1952
Breitling introduces the "Navitimer" which becomes the quintessential pilot's watch.

1953
First pressure proof watch invented by Rolex, called "Submariner."

1954
First watch with Helium escape valve for deep sea diving introduced by Rolex.
Rolex launches "GMT Master."

1955
Rene Bannwart, designer for Omega, leaves the company to start up his own watch brand and Company named Corum.
Essen and JVL Perry develop the first Atomic Clock in England.

1956
Rolex introduces their first model that displays the day and date.

1957
Hamilton introduces the world's first battery driven watch. The watch had its share of problems but marked the beginning of a very serious crisis in the Swiss mechanical watch industry, almost leading to its complete demise.

1957
Buren makes the first self winding watch with a micro rotor.

1959
Piaget introduces the 12P, the thinnest self winding watch in the world at 2.33 mm thick.

1960
Bulova introduces its very successful "Accutron" model. This battery-operated watch replaced the balance wheel with a tuning fork. The system was much more accurate than previous battery operated watches.

1961
Movado introduces the "Museum" watch, a model remaining popular till today. The dial had been designed 14 years earlier by Nathan George Horwitt.

1962
Rado produces the world's first scratch proof watch called the "Diastar 1", a classic still popular in some markets to day.
ETA of Switzerland develops the first quartz battery operated watch called the "Beta 21". This is by far the most accurate and dependable system to date. Instead of starting to produce quartz watches for the general public, they did not use this new, by them invented, technology and continued to produce mechanical movements.

1966
Girard-Perregaux produces the world's first high frequency mechanical movement, (36,000 vibrations per hour). Most mechanical watches have a rate of 18,800 or 28,800 vibrations per hour.

1967
Quartz crystal watch module developed in Switzerland and Japan.

1969
Seiko introduces the "Astron", the first quartz watch available to the general consumer. Not many Astrons were made, but this marked the beginning of the Japanese quartz watch domination.
Man lands on the moon and NASA choses the Omega Speedmaster as the watch to go to the moon with them. The Omega Speedmaster remains the first watch worn on the moon.
In a race to develop the first self winding chronograph, Zenith and Movado collaborate to introduce the "El Primero".

1970
Hamilton releases the "Pulsar", the first electronic digital watch. At the push of a button, the light emitting diode (LED) would light up the red numbers. This was easy to read, but exhausted batteries quickly.

1972
Longines and Seiko introduce a new type of digital display with the LCD, (Liquid Crystal Display). It displays the time continously, in contrast with the LED's push button method.
Audemars Piguet introduces the "Royal Oak", the first stainless steel luxury sports watch. What seemed risky back then, is the leading trend today.

1973
First LCD quartz watch with six-digit digital display made by Seiko.

1974
Paul Picot founded.

1976
Patek Philippe introduces the "Nautilus". Citizen makes the first light powered watch.

1979
Vacheron Constantin introduces the "Kallista", the world's most expensive watch. With 130 carats of diamonds, it is worth approximately 9 million dollars.
Concord releases the "Delirium", the world's thinnest watch, (1.98mm). As the battle for the thinnest watches continues, the Delirium IV is released at an amazing .98 mm thick. Thin, but not very practical, as the case would bend on the wearer's wrist.

1980
Hublot founded.

1983
Despite the popularity of quartz watches, Gerd Lang starts his own mechanical watch company named Chronoswiss.
SMH of Switzerland launches the Swatch brand. It immediately takes off and gives the inexpensive Japanese quartz watch brands a run for their money. The many different and sometimes crazy styles were an instant success, and at about $35, people bought not just one but many. Several limited edition Swatches have fetched hundreds, even thousands, of Swiss Francs in the collectors' market.

1984
The Texas-based Fossil watch brand is launched. With its retro styling and packaging, Fossil limited editions are an instant success with collectors.
The mechanical watch starts to make a comeback. Digital "fatigue" and appreciation for the true values of genuine mechanical masterpieces made in a centuries old tradition resurge.

1985
The Swiss Heuer Company merges with TAG to form TAG Heuer.
IWC releases the "Da Vinci", a self winding, perpetual calendar which enjoys continued success today.
Citizen introduces the "Aqualand", the first diver's watch with a depth sensor.
Ulysse Nardin introduces the "Astrolabium Galileo Galilei" which makes it into the Guiness Book of Records. This watch indicates the position of the sun, moon, and stars. It also shows sunrise, sunset, dawn, dusk, moon phases, moon rise and moon set, eclipses of the sun and moon, the month and the day. It was developed by Ulysse Nardin's in-house genius Ludwig Öchslin and he would later develop two other complicated watches to form a trilogy set.

1986
Patek Philippe introduces the secular calendar, which factors out the adjustment in the gregorian calendar every 400 years.
Audemars Piguet introduces the first self-winding tourbillon.

1987
Alain Silberstein of Besançon, France opens his own watch company. His designs remain truly unique and instantly recognizable.

1988
Analogue quartz watch using , marketed by Seiko.
Chronoswiss makes the first regulator wristwatch.
Ulysse Nardin's Ludwig Öchslin develops the "Planetarium Copernicus", a watch that displays the position of the planets in relation to the Sun and Earth. It also shows the moon rotating around the Earth and has a perpetual calendar indicating the month and signs of the zodiac.
Jean d'Eve and Seiko release watches that are automatic / quartz hybrids. The rotor inside charges the watch, called a kinetic energy source, so battery replacement is not necessary. Though this system had its problems, this technology would be improved and reintroduced later by Seiko.

1989
The world's most complicated watch, the Patek Philippe Caliber 89 is sold for 3.2 million dollars (including commissions etc.). It has 33 different functions and took nine years to complete.

1990
Junghans introduced the first radio controlled analogue watch.
Daniel Roth, who was instrumental in the rebirth of the Breguet brand, launches his own brand of watches bearing his name.

1991
Junghans unveils the "Mega 1", the first watch capable of receiving a radio signal to synchronize the watch with an atomic clock. Franck Muller founded.
At the height of the Swatch craze, the "Kiki Picasso" Swatch sells for 62,000 Swiss Francs.

1992
Timex unveils "Indiglo", a back-lit display that illuminates the entire dial equally. This is by far the easiest watch to read in the dark. Today this same system can be found on many watches, ranging from Timex to Omega.
Ulysse Nardin completes their trilogy set with the "Tellurium Johannes Kepler". This piece shows the rotation of the Earth as seen from the North Pole. It also shows which part of the Earth is exposed to the sun, and indicates sunrise and sunset. Lastly it shows the moon rotating around the Earth and eclipses of the sun and the moon.

1994
Seiko unveils the "Kinetic", a greatly improved automatic / quartz hybrid compared to the one they made in 1988. Now there are similar movements in Swiss watches.
The A. Lange & Söhne brand is revived in Germany and quickly earns a position on top of the horological world along with the most prestigious Swiss brands.
After years of planning, Roland Murphy introduces his own watch brand, (RGM).

1995
Symbolic of our lives becoming more dependent on computers, Timex unveils the "Data-Link". The watch "reads" information off of a computer screen to remember schedules, telephone numbers, etc.
Citizen releases a line of "Eco-Drive" solar powered watches. Much better looking (not as obviously solar) than previous solar powered watches (designed by the famous Swiss designer Jörg Hysek), they last an amazing 500 days on a full charge.

1996
Philippe Dufour unveils the "Duality". The movement feature two escapements which average against each other to improve accuracy. This system was developed to rival the tourbillon.
Parmigiani brand launched.
Rado unveils the "Vision 1", a watch that features a crushed diamond crystal. Until now sapphire crystals were the hardest. The Vision 1 remains an experimental model not being produced for the public at large as of yet.

1997
Patek Philippe unveils their "Annual Calendar" which runs without being adjusted for one full year.

1999
Watches that run on the difference in temperature between the air and the wearer's wrist are launched by Seiko (the "Thermic") and Citizen.
Omega unveils the "Co-Axial". This movement was developed by George Daniels and has a new escapement that has less friction, which results in higher accuracy and requires less service.
Casio innovates with the first wristwatch with a built-in Global Positioning System (GPS).
IWC introduces the "Deep One", the first mechanical watch with a depth gauge.