What Were the First Watches Ever? ⌚️ A Journey Through Time

Ever wondered what the very first watches looked like and how they ticked their way into history? Spoiler alert: they weren’t the sleek wristwatches we strap on today! In fact, the earliest portable timepieces were chunky, ornate, and often worn as pendants or tucked into clothing—not on your wrist. From the ingenious German locksmith Peter Henlein’s 16th-century creations to the elegant wristwatches crafted for queens and aviators, the story of the first watches is a fascinating blend of craftsmanship, innovation, and social change.

Stick with us as we unravel the mysteries behind these mechanical marvels, explore how the balance spring revolutionized accuracy, and discover why wristwatches were once considered exclusively feminine accessories—until war changed everything. By the end, you’ll see why those first watches still captivate collectors and enthusiasts alike.

Key Takeaways

  • The first watches were portable clocks made in early 1500s Germany, often worn as pendants or attached to clothing.
  • Peter Henlein is widely credited as a pioneer, but watchmaking was a collective evolution across Europe.
  • Early watches had only an hour hand due to poor accuracy; the balance spring invention in the 17th century enabled minute hands.
  • Wristwatches began as women’s jewelry and only became popular for men during World War I.
  • Iconic brands like Breguet, Patek Philippe, and Cartier shaped watch history with groundbreaking designs and innovations.
  • Collecting early watches requires attention to authenticity, originality, and condition to truly appreciate their historical value.

Ready to dive deeper into the fascinating world of horology? Keep reading to uncover the full story behind the first watches ever!

Table of Contents

Alright, fellow time travelers and horology heads, welcome to Watch Brands™! We’re about to take a deep dive into a question that tickles the fancy of every watch lover: What were the first watches ever? Forget smartwatches for a second; we’re going way, way back. We’ll journey through the fascinating history of watches to uncover the origins of these incredible machines. So, wind up your curiosity, and let’s get started!

⚡️ Quick Tips and Facts About the First Watches Ever

Before we get into the nitty-gritty, here are some mind-blowing tidbits to set the scene:

  • Not on the Wrist! The very first portable timepieces weren’t worn on the wrist. They were often large, drum-shaped objects worn as pendants around the neck or fastened to clothing.
  • The “Nuremberg Egg” Myth: You’ll often hear the first watches called “Nuremberg Eggs.” While they were made in Nuremberg, Germany, they were initially spherical or drum-shaped, not egg-shaped. The “egg” name likely came from a linguistic mix-up over time.
  • One Hand Was Enough: Early watches were notoriously inaccurate, sometimes losing hours in a single day! Because of this, they usually only had an hour hand. A minute hand was pointless when the device couldn’t even keep the hour straight.
  • A Locksmith’s Game: The man most often credited with inventing the watch is Peter Henlein, a locksmith from Nuremberg, Germany, around 1505-1510. However, it’s a bit of a historical debate, as other craftsmen were making similar devices around the same time.
  • Wristwatches Were for Women: For centuries, wristwatches were considered delicate, feminine jewelry. Men of status carried pocket watches. It took a world war to change that perception.
  • The First “Wristwatch”? The debate for the first wristwatch is hot! Some say Abraham-Louis Breguet created one for the Queen of Naples in 1810. Others, including the Guinness World Records, point to a Patek Philippe piece made for a Hungarian Countess in 1868.

🕰️ The Dawn of Timekeeping: Origins and Early Timepieces

Imagine a world without a clock in your pocket or on your wrist. For most of human history, time was public. It was told by the sun, by massive water clocks, or by the ringing of a church bell. But as the Renaissance bloomed in 15th and 16th century Europe, society was changing. Commerce, science, and a new sense of individualism created a demand for personal time.

The breakthrough that made it all possible was the invention of the mainspring in the 15th century. This simple metal ribbon, when coiled, could store and release energy, freeing timekeeping from the tyranny of gravity and bulky weights that powered stationary clocks.

This innovation sparked a horological revolution in the German cities of Nuremberg and Augsburg, which became the Silicon Valley of their day for clockmaking. It was here that craftsmen like the legendary Peter Henlein took on the challenge of shrinking clock technology into something a person could carry. While there’s no definitive proof he was the absolute first, he was a key pioneer in creating these portable “clock-watches.”

1. The First Portable Clocks: From Pocket to Wrist

So, what did these first “watches” actually look like? Forget the sleek designs you see in our Luxury Watch Brands category. The earliest portable clocks were chunky, cylindrical brass boxes, several inches in diameter. They were ornate, heavily engraved, and designed to be seen.

The “Pomander” Watch

Many of the very first designs, like the one attributed to Henlein from 1505, were built into small, spherical containers called pomanders. These were fashionable accessories used by the nobility to carry pleasant-smelling substances like ambergris or musk to ward off the… let’s say, aromatic realities of the 16th century. Integrating a timepiece into one was the ultimate statement of wealth and modernity. A notable example is a pomander watch from 1530 that belonged to the reformer Philip Melanchthon.

From Pendant to Pocket

These early clock-watches were worn on a chain around the neck or fastened to clothing. Why not in a pocket? Simple: pockets in clothing weren’t really a thing yet! It wasn’t until King Charles II of England popularized the waistcoat in the 17th century that men began carrying their timepieces in a pocket, giving birth to the pocket watch. This shift marked a major step in the evolution of personal timekeeping, a story we love exploring in our Vintage Watch Collections.

2. The Evolution of Watch Movements: Mechanical Marvels

The guts of these early watches were, to put it mildly, a bit primitive. They used a mechanism called the verge escapement, which was adapted from larger clocks. It was clever, but not very precise. As we mentioned, losing several hours a day was not uncommon.

The Game-Changer: The Balance Spring

The single most important invention for watch accuracy came in the mid-17th century: the balance spring. This tiny, spiraled spring controlled the oscillations of the balance wheel, making the watch’s “heartbeat” vastly more regular. The invention is a point of contention, with credit often disputed between English scientist Robert Hooke and Dutch horologist Christiaan Huygens around 1675.

This innovation was a quantum leap. It transformed watches from mere novelties into genuinely useful scientific instruments.

Feature Before Balance Spring (c. 1510-1675) After Balance Spring (c. 1675 onwards)
Accuracy Lost hours per day Lost minutes per day
Hands Hour hand only Hour and Minute hands became standard
Usefulness Decorative, general time indication Practical tool for navigation, science, and daily life

3. Early Watchmakers and Iconic Brands That Shaped History

While Germany kicked things off, the craft of watchmaking soon flourished across Europe, with Swiss, French, and English masters taking the lead. These weren’t just craftsmen; they were artists and inventors whose legacies define the watch world to this day.

Abraham-Louis Breguet: The Godfather of Watchmaking

You simply can’t talk about watch history without bowing your head to Breguet. Active in Paris in the late 18th and early 19th centuries, his list of inventions is staggering: the first self-winding watch (the Perpétuelle), the shock protection system, and the mind-bendingly complex tourbillon. And, as mentioned, he created what many consider the world’s first true wristwatch in 1810 for Caroline Murat, the Queen of Naples. It was a delicate, oval-shaped repeater watch on a bracelet of hair and gold thread.

Patek Philippe: Royalty’s Choice

Founded in Geneva in 1839, Patek Philippe quickly established itself as the pinnacle of Swiss watchmaking. Their name is synonymous with quality, complexity, and elegance. In 1868, they created a stunning bracelet watch for Countess Koscowicz of Hungary, a piece that holds the Guinness World Record for the first wristwatch. This commitment to crafting exquisite timepieces for discerning clients cemented their legendary status.

Cartier and the Birth of the Modern Men’s Wristwatch

For decades, the wristwatch remained a woman’s accessory. That all changed in 1904. The famous Brazilian aviator, Alberto Santos-Dumont, complained to his friend Louis Cartier about the impracticality of using a pocket watch while flying. Cartier’s solution was revolutionary: a flat watch with a distinctive square bezel, integrated into a leather strap. The Cartier Santos-Dumont was born, becoming not only the first pilot’s watch but arguably the first purpose-built wristwatch for men. This iconic design changed the game for Men’s Watches forever.

👉 Shop Iconic Heritage Brands on:

4. Materials and Craftsmanship: What Were the First Watches Made Of?

The first watches were objects of immense luxury, and the materials reflected that. They were showcases of an artisan’s skill in multiple disciplines.

Component Primary Materials Used Craftsmanship Details
Case Brass, Gilt (gold-plated brass), Silver, Gold Intricate engravings, chasing, and enamel work were common. Often shaped into skulls, animals, or religious symbols.
Dial Brass, Silver, Enamel Early dials were simple metal plates. Enamel dials became popular for their beauty and durability.
Movement Iron, Steel, Brass Hand-cut gears and plates. Early movements were often made of iron, with brass becoming more common later.
Crystal Rock Crystal Before glass was common, polished rock crystal was used to protect the dial, though many early watches had metal covers instead.

It’s incredible to think that every single component, down to the tiniest screw, was made entirely by hand. This level of artistry is something we still celebrate in high-end horology today.

5. Display Innovations: How Did the First Watches Show Time?

The way we read time on a watch seems obvious now, but it took centuries to standardize.

The Single-Hand Era

As we’ve noted, the poor accuracy of the first clock-watches made a minute hand useless. For over 150 years, portable timepieces had only an hour hand. Time was read approximately, often in 15-minute increments.

The Arrival of the Minute Hand

The invention of the balance spring changed everything. With watches suddenly able to keep time to within a few minutes a day, adding a minute hand became not just possible, but necessary. This fundamentally changed how people interacted with their watches and perceived time itself.

Lume for the Trenches

A much later, but crucial, innovation was the use of luminous materials. During World War I, being able to read the time in the dark of a trench without lighting a match (which could attract enemy fire) was a matter of life and death. Watchmakers began applying radium-based paint to hands and numerals, creating the “trench watches” that were essential for coordinating attacks. This military necessity soon became a standard feature on civilian watches.

6. The Role of Watches in Society: Status Symbols and Practical Tools

The “why” behind the watch has shifted dramatically over time. What began as a toy for the rich became an indispensable tool for the modern world.

An Aristocratic Accessory

✅ Early Watches (16th-19th Century): Primarily a symbol of immense wealth and status.

  • Exclusivity: Only royalty and the highest nobility could afford them.
  • Ornamentation: They were treated as jewelry, with the decorative case often being more important than the timekeeping inside.
  • Conversation Starter: Owning a portable clock was a technological marvel, a sure way to impress at court.

The Military Imperative

❌ Later Watches (Late 19th Century Onwards): A shift towards practicality and necessity.

  • Synchronization: The military realized the critical importance of synchronizing troop movements, especially during conflicts like the Boer War and WWI.
  • Accessibility: Using a pocket watch in the heat of battle was impractical. Strapping a watch to the wrist was a practical solution born from necessity.
  • Democratization: War exposed millions of men to the utility of the wristwatch, transforming it from a feminine accessory into a masculine essential.

7. Wristwatches vs. Pocket Watches: The Shift in Popularity

For most of horological history, the pocket watch reigned supreme for men. The transition to the wrist was slow, met with resistance, and ultimately forced by global conflict.

A Woman’s World

The idea of wearing a watch on a bracelet existed as early as the 16th century. Queen Elizabeth I is said to have received an “arm watch” as a gift in 1571. However, for the next 300 years, these “bracelet watches” were seen almost exclusively as decorative items for women. A man wearing a watch on his wrist would have been considered eccentric, if not effeminate.

The War that Changed Everything

World War I was the tipping point. The brutal reality of trench warfare made fumbling for a pocket watch impossible and dangerous. Officers began strapping their pocket watches to their wrists with crude leather holders, and manufacturers quickly caught on, producing purpose-built “trench watches.”

The impact was seismic. Millions of soldiers returned home accustomed to the convenience of a wristwatch. The association with military heroism completely erased the old stigma. The wristwatch was now a symbol of bravery and modernity. By 1930, sales of wristwatches outpaced pocket watches by a staggering ratio of 50 to 1. The pocket watch’s reign was over.

8. Collecting Vintage Timepieces: What to Look for in Early Watches

Does all this history have you itching to own a piece of it? Collecting early timepieces is a rewarding journey, but it requires knowledge and caution. If you’re just starting, our Guide to Buying Watches is a great place to begin.

Key Considerations for Collectors

  • Authenticity and Provenance: This is paramount. Look for signatures on the movement and dial. Any documentation, service records, or family history that comes with the watch adds immense value.
  • Originality: Are the hands, dial, and crown original to the watch? A watch with all its original parts, even if they show wear, is often more desirable to serious collectors than one with new, replacement parts.
  • Condition: Check the case for deep scratches or polishing that has softened the original lines. Look for cracks or chips in an enamel dial. The condition of the movement is crucial—is it clean, rusty, or missing parts?
  • Key Makers: Watches from pioneers like Breguet or early pieces from houses like Patek Philippe are highly sought after. But don’t overlook lesser-known but high-quality makers from the 18th and 19th centuries.

Diving into the world of Vintage Watch Collections can be one of the most satisfying aspects of this hobby. Holding a piece of history that ticked through centuries past is an experience unlike any other.

Conclusion: Why the First Watches Still Fascinate Us Today

What a journey! From the clunky, ornate pomander watches of 16th-century Nuremberg to the sleek pilot’s wristwatches that revolutionized men’s style in the early 20th century, the story of the first watches ever is a fascinating blend of art, science, and social change. These early timepieces were far more than just tools—they were status symbols, technological marvels, and cultural icons that paved the way for the watches we cherish today.

We started with the mystery of who truly invented the first watch—Peter Henlein often gets the credit, but as with many great inventions, it was a collective evolution. The introduction of the mainspring and the balance spring were game-changers, transforming bulky clocks into portable companions. And while wristwatches were initially seen as feminine adornments, necessity (and war) flipped the script, making them a masculine essential.

If you’re a collector or just a curious enthusiast, understanding the origins of watches enriches your appreciation of every tick and tock. Those early watches may have been inaccurate and cumbersome, but they carried the spirit of innovation and craftsmanship that still drives the watch industry today.

So, next time you glance at your wrist or pocket, remember: you’re holding a piece of history that’s been evolving for over 500 years! ⌚️✨

Ready to explore or start your own collection of historic and iconic watches? Here are some curated shopping and reading resources to fuel your passion:

FAQ: Your Burning Questions About the First Watches Answered

What are some of the most iconic and influential watch designs that have shaped the industry today?

Some of the most iconic designs include the Cartier Santos (the first pilot’s wristwatch), the Rolex Submariner (the archetype of the dive watch), and the Omega Speedmaster (the first watch on the moon). These designs combined innovation with timeless aesthetics, setting standards that many brands still follow. Early watches like the pomander and pocket watches influenced the shape and style of modern timepieces, emphasizing craftsmanship and functionality.

How have watches changed over the centuries, from functional time-telling devices to fashion accessories?

Initially, watches were functional tools for telling time, albeit imprecise and bulky. Over centuries, as accuracy improved and miniaturization advanced, watches became more reliable and portable. By the 18th and 19th centuries, they evolved into status symbols and fashion statements, often ornately decorated. The 20th century saw watches become mass-market accessories, blending utility with style, and now smartwatches add digital functionality, blending tech with tradition.

What is the difference between quartz and mechanical watches, and which one is more accurate?

  • Mechanical watches rely on intricate gears, springs, and escapements. They are prized for craftsmanship and tradition but typically lose or gain several seconds per day.
  • Quartz watches use a battery and a quartz crystal oscillator, offering superior accuracy (often within seconds per month) and lower maintenance.

For pure accuracy, quartz wins ✅. For artistry and heritage, mechanical watches reign supreme ✅.

Who are some notable watchmakers that contributed to the development of modern timepieces?

  • Peter Henlein: Credited with creating some of the first portable watches.
  • Christiaan Huygens: Invented the balance spring, vastly improving accuracy.
  • Abraham-Louis Breguet: Innovator of self-winding watches, tourbillons, and more.
  • Patek Philippe founders: Pioneers of wristwatches and complex complications.
  • Louis Cartier: Creator of the first modern men’s wristwatch.

What were the key features of the first pocket watches and how did they evolve over time?

The earliest pocket watches were large, heavy, and often only had an hour hand. They featured verge escapements and were encased in ornate metalwork. Over time, they became smaller, more accurate (with the addition of the balance spring), and included minute and second hands. Cases evolved from simple brass to precious metals with intricate decoration. By the 19th century, pocket watches were standard accessories for gentlemen.

How did ancient civilizations keep track of time before the invention of mechanical watches?

Before mechanical watches, civilizations used sundials, water clocks (clepsydras), hourglasses, and astronomical observations. These methods were public and often imprecise, relying on natural phenomena rather than portable devices. The invention of the mainspring and escapement mechanisms in the late Middle Ages revolutionized personal timekeeping.

What is the history of timekeeping and how did it lead to the development of watches?

Timekeeping began with natural cycles—day and night, lunar phases. Early devices like sundials and water clocks measured time publicly. The mechanical clock emerged in the 13th century, initially large and stationary. The invention of the mainspring in the 15th century allowed clocks to be miniaturized and made portable, leading to the first watches in the 16th century.

What was the first watch of all time?

The first watches were likely small, drum-shaped portable clocks made in early 16th-century Germany, particularly in Nuremberg. Peter Henlein is often credited with making some of the earliest examples around 1505-1510. These were not wristwatches but pendant or pocket-sized timepieces.

What were the first watches like?

They were bulky, heavy, and often inaccurate. Early watches had only an hour hand and were encased in ornate metalwork, sometimes shaped like pomanders or spheres. They were worn as pendants or attached to clothing rather than on the wrist.

Who invented the first watch?

While no single inventor can be definitively named, Peter Henlein, a German locksmith from Nuremberg, is widely credited with creating some of the first portable watches in the early 1500s.

Thanks for sticking with us through this epic horological adventure! Ready to explore more or start your own collection? Head over to our Guide to Buying Watches and happy ticking! ⌚️🎉

Review Team
Review Team

The Popular Brands Review Team is a collective of seasoned professionals boasting an extensive and varied portfolio in the field of product evaluation. Composed of experts with specialties across a myriad of industries, the team’s collective experience spans across numerous decades, allowing them a unique depth and breadth of understanding when it comes to reviewing different brands and products.

Leaders in their respective fields, the team's expertise ranges from technology and electronics to fashion, luxury goods, outdoor and sports equipment, and even food and beverages. Their years of dedication and acute understanding of their sectors have given them an uncanny ability to discern the most subtle nuances of product design, functionality, and overall quality.

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