The Breitling Watch Source Forums

That's ironic, since the company started as a jeweler and got into watchmaking early in its history. In fact, if Wikipedia is to be believed, Cartier made the first men's wristwatch. Cartier only branched out into clothing and fragrance decades later, after it sold out and went corporate, as a means of expanding the brand's markets and brand recognition. Perhaps the tactic worked too well.

Wiki is wrong on this one - the first wristwatch was made by Breguet.

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SHARKMAN

Doesn't surprise me Wikipedia is wrong; that's why I qualified the statement. In double checking, I see they didn't even cite the assertion. It's still safe to say, though, that watchmaking is fairly entrenched in the Cartier DNA, isn't it?

Yes

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SHARKMAN

But that life were that simple.......

Girard Perregeaux supposedly equipped the German Navy with wristwatches in the 1880s in the form of straps that incorporated holders for pocket watches, though that's not documented.

What is documented is the use of wristwatches by the British in the 1899 - 1902 Boer War, with the earliest documentation being 1900 for the Goldsmith's Company. If BReguet can beat that I would be surprised!

In 1810 the Queen of Naples commisioned Breguet to create a watch to be worn on the wrist. Though it was a "one of a kind," it is generally thought to be the first "wristwatch." The Breguet exhibit at the Louvre credits Breguet with the first wristwatch. And of course many other firsts. But then it's a French museum celebrating a French company and you know how those French can be!

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SHARKMAN

Which came first, the chicken or the egg?

The rooster.

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I guess we should clarify whether we're talking about the first men's wristwatch or the first wristwatch ever. Granted, Wikipedia would appear to be wrong on both counts, since it claims says Cartier made the first men's wristwatch, and Patek Philippe made the first wristwatch ever, for a woman as a one-off (possibly the same watch credited to Breguet?).

Maybe, never heard of it before.

This is from a pretty good summary of watch making events. Notice I've started what I copied at 1775 with the first Breguet entry - opening of his shop. But look at how Breguet then dominates the list of historic moments/acheivements. This is not from a list Breguet highlights, rather watch making highlights.

1775: Abraham Louis Breguet sets up his own watch making shop in Paris, France.

1780: Abraham Louis Perrelet, one of Breguet's early instructors, invents the self-winding movement. Breguet would later improve this feature.

1783: Abraham Louis Breguet invents the gong spring for repeaters. He also designs his own style hands and numbers, which are still named after him today. The gong spring helped make repeaters much smaller.

1783: Breguet begins work on his famous "Queen Marie Antoinette" watch. The watch features: self-winding, minute repeating, perpetual calendar, independent seconds, equation of time, thermometer, and power reserve. It also had a rock crystal dial to show off the amazing movement. Unfortunately the watch took so long to complete that the Queen never got to see the final product. In 1983 it was stolen from a museum in Jerusalem and to this day the watch has not been recovered.

1786: Breguet is the first to use guilloche on watch dials, which not only made them more attractive but also more legible.

1790: Breguet invents the parachute anti lock device to protect the balance wheel.

1791: J.F. Bautte founded the watch company that would eventually become Girard-Perregaux.

1795: Breguet invents the Tourbillon. One of his greatest achievements, this device compensates for positional errors in the escapement caused by gravity. It remains one of the most difficult mechanisms to manufacture today.

1795: Breguet invents the Breguet over coil balance spring. This greatly improves accuracy and is still used in high quality mechanical watches.

1798: Breguet invents the "Sympathique". This is a clock and watch set. When the watch is not in use, it sets into a recess in the clock. The clock would then adjust and reset the watch. Later versions also rewound the watch. In 1991 this system was adapted to a wristwatch / clock set.

1799: Breguet invents the "Tact" watch, also known as the "watch for the blind". With this watch, the wearer could feel the exposed pointer on the case to determine the time.

Late 1700s: With all of the latest technical innovations, movements are now much smaller, and form watches remerge in even more styles than before.

Early 1800s: Thanks to Breguet's invention of the gong spring, repeaters are much more compact and repeaters are now getting very popular.

1801: Breguet gets the patent for the Tourbillon.

1807: Thomas Young invents the recording chronograph.

1809: Luther Goddard of Shrewsbury, Massachusetts is the first watch manufacturer in America. He has produced only approximately 600 watches in total.

1810: Breguet makes the first wristwatch for the Queen of Naples. There are many other claims to the first wristwatch title, but Breguet's is documented.

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SHARKMAN

Should I change the title of the thread to "Who made the first wrist watch"

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"I don't own any watches, I just lease them"

Sorry Sergio, I forgot that you are a stickler for threads staying on their original topic

Oh suuuuuure, it's not like you've taken any of my threads OT.

Now go buy a Pasha.

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SHARKMAN

OPs who complain about their thread getting off topic annoy the crap out of me. Who cares!!! Conversations can go in many different directions.

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"I don't own any watches, I just lease them"

How's about those NY JETS?! Just kidding!

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Regards,

Peter

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