====== Wristwatch ======
===== From the ladies' watch to the watch for men =====
The first wristwatches came late 19th and early 20th Century. Until then, men had worn their [[pocket watch]]es on a chain in the vest pocket, whereas women had them on a chain around their neck. In performing daily work, however, the shortcomings of these ways of carrying method showed. Not infrequently, a ladies' watch worn on a chain dipped into the pot while cooking.

So the fashion emerged to wear the women's watches by a bangle with clip on the wrist. Later, for better readability the dial was offset by 90° and bars solded at the case, to be able to attach bracelets. This fashion was initially considered by men as "effeminate" - men still continued to use the [[pocket watch]] at the watch chain.

{{wst>image_r|Cartier_Santos|Cartier Santos}}
Only aviation brought the breakthrough for men's wristwatches the Brazilian aviation pioneer [[Santos-Dumont, Alberto|Alberto Santos-Dumont]] inspired his friend, the Parisian watchmaker [[Cartier|Louis Cartier]] to build a watch for pilots, which was worn on the bracelet So the [[Cartier Santos]] became the first wristwatch for men.

Also the officers in World War I had discovered, that their pocket watches were very impractical in the winter and generally under combat conditions. So the wristwatch won through quickly in the military and finally also in the civil society. At war's end, it quickly became the general standard.

===== The perfectioning of the wristwatch =====
[[Wilsdorf, Hans|Hans Wilsdorf]], founder of the now so famous watch manufacture [[Rolex]], has the merit of having worked systematically at the perfection of the wristwatch. Because long before his competitors he recognized the future of this new watch genre. Till then, wristwatches hat not been particularly robust and reliable, because at the wrist of their wearer they were at the mercy of the effects of dust, moisture and vibrations - now it was mainly about making the watches more resilient and practicable than the then-standard [[pocket watch]]es.

Wilsdorf developed the world's first patented [[waterproof]] watch, which was presented under the name "[[Oyster]]". The case was milled from a single solid piece of [[steel]]. Caseback and [[crown]] were screwed in. The [[watch glass]] sat tightly and accurate to guarantee the full protection of the [[watch movement]]. Even with the marketing of this new type of watch Wilsdorf trod new paths. As the swimmer Mercedes Gleitze on 7 October [[1927]] crossed the English Channel with a Rolex "Oyster" on her arm (it is also said on the neck), Wilsdorf placed a full-page ad on the front page of Britain's Daily Mail, and the watch was at once known to the general public.

The next step was the development of the [[automatic winding]], which [[Rolex]] brought to market in [[1931]] in the form of the famous "[[Perpetual]]". The principle of a freely rotating [[weight segment]], by which a uniform tension of the [[mainspring]] can be achieved, has since been accepted as suitable for mass production on a broad front.

===== More on this topic =====
  *[[Chronometer]]
  *[[Chronograph]]
  *[[Winding]]
  *[[Water resistance]]
  *[[Quartz watch]]
  *[[Radio-controlled watch]]

===== Literature =====
  *Armbanduhren Katalog 2007; Author [[Peter Braun]]; ISBN 3898806286
  *Das große Uhrenlexikon; Author [[Fritz von Osterhausen]]; ISBN 3898804305
  *Die 1000 schönsten Armbanduhren von 1925 bis heute; Author Martin Häußermann; ISBN 3898805107
  *1000 Uhren. Technik - Präzision - Eleganz; Author [[Rolf Lohberg]]; ISBN 3625105497
  *Uhren. Ein Handbuch für Uhrenliebhaber and Sammler; Authors Paolo DeVecchi, Alberto Uglietti ISBN 3704313033
  *Armbanduhren-Klassik-Katalog; Authors [[Stefan Muser]], [[Michael P. Horlbeck]]; ISBN 3898803600
  *Armbanduhren. Geschichte, Technik and Design Mit Uhrmacher-Lexikon; Author Anton Kreuzer; ISBN 3937872140 


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