Watch out for Timepieces for Women!
To know the history of women’s watches, we have to go back to the beginning of the 19th century. At that time, the use of time pieces was practically a male exclusive, using only pocket watches. In 1810, Abraham-Louis Breguet went on to create the first wristwatch in history and precisely for a woman: Caroline Murat, Queen of Naples. Years later, in 1869, it would be Patek Philippe’s turn to present a wristwatch, once again feminine and intended for a member of the aristocracy, Countess Koscowicz of Hungary.
But it was only at the beginning of the twentieth century that the use of watches by women intensified, ceasing to be an exclusive of royalty to start pleasing the masses, and always with the prospect of fashion accessories, in addition to the time indicator. Time pieces were worn around the neck, on the belts, as breast pins and, of course, on the wrist.
In the aftermath of the Second World War, watches produced in the 1950s were divided between simplicity and opulence, probably because companies started from where they left off with the Art Deco style extended until the beginning of this decade, there was an increasing sense of sobriety and simplicity in the watches produced. On the other hand, wristwatches began to be seen as a real necessity, as travel around the world started to become more and more common. Thus, practicality was placed above everything and numerous complications were invented, such as Worldtimer and the alarm function.
Creativity was left a little in the background, although the brands continued to produce jewellery watches for the female audience. Later the creativity returned in force. Tight bracelets were in fashion, as were cuff watches. The watchmakers of that time exhibited almost zero containment and there seemed to be no limit to the number of shapes a watch could take.
At the turn of the century, several brands, have made watches dedicated to women, rather than simply scaled-down versions of existing male models. Today, practically all brands of mechanical watch have women’s collections among their offerings. In addition, in recent years we have seen an increasing trend in the creation of unisex watches, with sizes and designs easily adaptable to male & female tastes and wrists.