Fantastic Journey With World-Renowned Timepieces

The wristwatch, for most of the last century, has been the ultimate male Gizmo! One of the few accepted male adornments, the pocket watch evolved into the wristwatch and subsequently into a key indicator of social status, particularly in the upper echelons of society. So what do the world’s most powerful men wear? An article this week in Russia’s leading newspaper addressed this question and the results make fascinating reading. The world’s most powerful man wears a US $50 Timex, whilst other heads of state wear timepieces that cost up to US$500,000 plus.

A brief history of personal chronography

The mechanical clock came into being early in the 14th century, and the first public clock was erected in Milan, Italy around 1335. Clocks slowly began to make their way into homes later that century and portable timepieces were first manufactured for sale in the early 16th century. Initially, these very large portable timepieces were carried in a pocket, did not have a minute hand (minute hands did not appear until 1670), and the use of protective glass over the face of the watch did not come about until the 17th century.

As the personal, portable timepiece grew in usage, the pocketwatch became the choice of gentlemen. Less than 100 years ago, no self-respecting gentleman would be caught dead wearing a wristwatch. In those days of yore, real men carried pocket watches.

Wristlets, as the wrist-worn variants were called, were reserved for women, and considered more of a passing fad than a serious timepiece. No-one believed that the miniaturization necessary to make a watch so small could be achieved without a loss of accuracy. In fact, wrist watches were held in such disdain a century ago that “many a gentlemen were actually quoted to say they “would sooner wear a skirt as wear a wristwatch.” War swings public opinion As has so often been the case with new technology, its introduction and subsequent performance under the most exacting conditions (i.e. war) was the catalyst for a change in public perception.

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For decades, wristwatches have been endorsed by celebrities of the stage, screen and sports world.

We have put together a collection of some of these advertisements.

TAG-Heuer

Tiger Woods, Brad Pitt, Jeff Gordon, Maria Sharapova, Juan Pablo Montoya, Kimi Raikkonen, Uma Thurman, Fernando Alonso, Lewis Hamilton and Shah Rukh Khan are some of the celebrity faces for TAG Heuer’s ‘What are you made of?’ campaign.

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Complete gentleman’s dressing can not be complete without a good wristwatch to match and if you are really careful about the selection of your wristwatch, you would certainly be a sight to see for everyone. There are several hundreds of brands and designer wristwatches you can select from, with each catching for itself a sizable part of the market. Many as these brands of wristwatches are, they all do not fare at the same rate in the market. While some are known and generally sought after in the international market, others are not exactly widely known or accepted probably due to awareness for it among other factors.

One wristwatch brand that has carved a good name and general acceptance for itself even in the international market scene is the Cartier tank watch. There is a very rich history surrounding the humble beginning of Cartier tank watch. Not only is the history rich, it is also a noble one considering the type of people that had to do with its conception. History has it that, Louis-François Cartier was the creator of this world acclaimed brand and he was noted to have been the brains behind many masterful jewelry that were fit for royalty at all levels. Up till today, the line fielded by Cartier watches makes an open reflection and continues in retaining this legacy of finesse and refinement.

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