Instruments - Swiss Watches

Up to 1835, the Swiss clock and watch making industry has been based on cottage manufacture of components with hand assembly in a factory. In that year, the Vacheron and Constantin factory in Geneva was converted to mechanised production. In 1842, another Geneva manufacturer, Patek-Phillipe (founded in 1839), produced the first watch with a shaft winder; doing away with the previous inconvenient key mechanism.

While both Vacheron and Patek-Phillipe successfully made expensive watches for a limited market, the real impact of Swiss watch-making began in 1860, when George Frederic Roskopf began manufacturing a simplified, low-priced yet reliable watch.

 1932 Omega

1940 Rolex Oyster Speedking In 1880, another Swiss firm, Girard-Perregaux, developed the wrist watch for officers of the Austrian Navy. The wristwatch was soon popularised by several Swiss manufacturers, particularly Omega, but prior to the 1920s remained prone to damage, dust and humidity. In the 1920s, another Swiss company, Rolex, went to great lengths to improve and demonstrate the strength and watertightness of their watches. Rolex was also the first manufacturer, in 1945, to display the date on the dial of their watches and, in 1956, to display the day as well.

The first automatic wristwatch (powered by the wearer’s movements) was made by Blancpain in 1926. In 1953, Jaegre-LeCoultre produced the first fully automatic wristwatch. Girard-Perregaux produced the first high-frequency mechanical watch in 1966 and the first mass-produced quartz watch in 1969.

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Instruments - American Watches

Americans were the first to mass produce watches. Edward Howard and Aaron Dennison founded the Waltham Watch Company in 1850. They designed machinery to mass produce watches and created a company which continued to do so until 1950. Another American watchmaking company which survived for over a century was founded in 1864. The National Watch Company of Elgin continued making watches until the 1960s.

Both Waltham and Elgin made relatively expensive, quality watches. In 1880, the Waterbury Watch Company was founded to make inexpensive watches. In 1892, R.H. Ingersoll began manufacturing their "dollar watch". In the same year, the Hamilton Watch Company, which is still in business, was founded.

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Instruments - Pocket Watches

From about 1620, the English began manufacturing pocket watches. (Pockets had been introduced in men’s breeches about fifty years earlier). In contrast to the earlier Continental watches, the English "Puritan" watches were housed in completely plain cases, usually made of silver and, of course, were carried in the pocket whereas earlier watches were usually worn on a string around the neck.

While the English were producing plain Puritan watches, watchmakers on the Continent were creating the most elaborately decorated watches the world has ever seen. Metal watch cases were pierced, chiselled, engraved, beaten and enamelled.; they were made of exotic materials, like rock crystal and in a huge variety of "forms", including crosses, roses, tulips, skulls and shells.

 English pocket watch (from about 1700)

In the 1680s, waistcoats became fashionable for the first time and watches were carried in the waistcoat pocket. Particularly from about 1730, watches were worn as a prominent piece of jewellery. 

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