A Brief Look At The history of Women and Wristwatches
1868 Patek Philippe gifted to Countess Koscowicz of Hungar
Given that the world of wristwatches is mostly populated by men today, it may surprise some to know that they were originally manufactured exclusively for women. Seen in the same light as regular jewelry, wristwatches were thought to be too fragile for the lifestyles of men at the time and inappropriate for gentlemen. In fact, most wristwatches were adorned with intricate jewels, like sapphires and diamonds, making them distinctly feminine (something that is still prevalent in many women’s watches today).
The first historical mention of a wristwatch, called an 'arm-watch' at the time, was in 1571 when Queen Elizabeth I was presented one as a gift by Robert Dudley, Earl of Leicester. Almost two hundred and forty years later, in 1810, the first modern wristwatch was commissioned by Maria Carolina of Austria.
'Montres-bracelets', as they were known, continued to be a very fashionable gift for aristocratic women of the time; in fact, Patek Philippe produced their first wristwatch in 1868 for Countess Koscowicz of Hungary.
Modern wristwatches, along with the issues depicted above, faced several other challenges in becoming mainstream. Notably there was the issue of accuracy; as montres-bracelets were often thinner, they were perceived (often correctly) to have less accurate movements. It was only as wristwatches developed as tools in the 20th century that they became socially acceptable among the male population.