Being an American, and a (safe to say) “watch guy”, I can’t help but to take notice of writings that I come across that discuss the history of watchmaking in America, or the upswell of new American brands that we’re seeing these days. Once upon a time, America was on top of the watchmaking heap – could they get there again?
Frédéric Piguet has as their claim to fame (well, at least one of their claims) for having produced what was, at the time, the thinnest hand-wound chronograph movement in their Calibre 1180.
Not too long ago, we had a Historical Horology piece covering the watches that various presidents have had, drawing from an excellent article put together by the crew over at Hodinkee. When I was working on that one, I was reminded of another article I had tucked away intending to write about, and it slipped into the recesses of my catalog, almost forgotten – much like the hidden messages that were uncovered in the pocket watch that was once carried by Abraham Lincoln.
When it comes to Omega, many folks instantly think of one model – the Speedmaster. This is a fair leap to make, given how iconic the watch has become. Variations have come and gone, but the one you’re likely picturing in your mind right now is a mechanical chronograph with a black dial. A lot of that is fueled from what we see today, as well as the vintage models that are currently popular. In the 1970’s, however, Omega was by no means immune to the quartz crisis.
Today’s Historical Horology post is a bit of a diversion. To be sure, our beloved watches have their roots in the clocks of yore, and you’d even find similarities (albeit with larger pieces) if you took apart a mechanical clock and compared it to a mechanical watch. What we don’t have, however, is this.
When it comes to the history of watchmaking, one of the most popular (and complex) complications that have come to be seems to be, time and again, the chronograph. While I myself seem to be personally moving away from an interest in chronographs, I certainly understand the appeal, and still believe it to be an amazing feat of engineering with the accuracy we’re able to get to these days. If you’d like to learn some more about the chronograph, and things like how it came to be, and how to use one, read right on.
When it comes to political figures, it’s always interesting to figure out what exactly they’re wearing in a particular photograph. As of late, there have been some brands that are officially endorsed as being “the” president’s watch (as evidenced by this Jorg Gray). But what if you wanted to go back further, and see what, say, George Washington tracked the time with?
At some point in your watch collecting life, you’ll very likely feel the siren call of a vintage watch. Perhaps it’s something you’re looking for to have a “birth year” watch, or you want something that happens to have been made locally to where you live. Aside from these (and many other) good reasons, there’s still a larger question – why even bother with these earlier watches? Why not just go for something that’s modern and presumably more reliable and accurate?
Most likely, you’re at least passingly familiar with the fact that Rolex made a practice of selling watches to British officers held in German POW camps during World War II, with payment not expected until after the war’s conclusion. The Brits were singled out as it was generally believed that their word was bond, and Hans Wilsdorf had a soft spot for England, as he had originally started up his business there.
In the current day and age, we no longer think of the places where watches are made…