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Watch designs have changed greatly over the last 100 years. The first company to manufacture a wristwatch was Patek Philippe. It was designed in 1868 and sold to the Countess Koscowicz of Hungary in 1876. It was wound with a key, and had gold panels on each side of the dial encrusted with diamonds.

Before World War I, wristwatches were thought of as jewelry, and meant for women only. During the war, soldiers needed to have access to their watches quickly, and were often unable to reach into their pockets to check the time. Their watches were worn on their wrists for easy access. They were called “trench watches” and were made out of pocket-watch movements that were big and bulky. Often the winding crown was at the 12 o’clock position. From that point on, they were no longer seen as just for ladies.

In 1923, the first self-winding movement was produced by Swiss watchmaker John Harwood. This type of movement would wind using the motion of the wearer’s arm. An internal weight would rotate back and forth as the watch moved, keeping the watch wound for approximately 12 hours.

The next evolution of the watch would be the creation of the electronic movement, which never needed winding. It was designed by the Hamilton Watch Co. in 1957 and was called the “Hamilton Electric.” It was an instant hit with consumers. Unfortunately, technology was soon to change and Hamilton ceased production of the line in 1969.

In the 1960s, several Swiss firms began designing quartz watch movements. The Swiss decided not to pursue production of quartz movements, as the cost to overhaul their factories was prohibitive, and it would put many watchmakers out of work.

The Japanese, however, moved ahead with the quartz designs. In 1969, Seiko would place their first quartz wristwatch on the market. This type movement was more accurate than a mechanical watch, and quickly gained a large portion of the marketplace. Not only was it more accurate than a mechanical watch , it never needed winding. And a quartz movement would not need regular servicing like a mechanical watch . It merely needed a battery replacement over time. Numerous Swiss and American watch manufacturers withered before Japanese dominance. Many closed their doors, or filed bankruptcy.

There were a great number of watch manufacturers around the world producing fine timepieces over the last 100 years. Some watch companies designed the complete watch , while others designed the case and dial, and partnered with another company to provide them with their movements. We’ve even seen some watch manufacturers produce watches under different brand names.

There is never a simple answer to the never ending question of “What’s it ...