The sight of a young man pulling a cellphone out of his pocket to check the time horrifies modern watch lovers. Too often we forget that this simple action was the norm during the golden age of mechanical timekeeping. Pocket watches have been relegated to specialist collections, dusty shelves in antique shops and conversation pieces amongst the majority of today’s watch literati. Nevertheless, little more than a hundred years ago men were as unlikely to be caught without a pocket watch as a hat. A stylish man at the beginning of the twentieth century might glance at his Hamilton railroad-grade pocket watch and feel a sense of smug satisfaction as he watched a friend pry open his hunter-cased Swiss watch, somewhat like how an iPhone user views the outdated flip-phones of a few years ago.
From Women’s Accessory to Military Tool
Vintage and modern wristwatches are far more popular among collectors of both sexes today. Prior to World War One, the wristwatch was exclusively a woman’s accessory. Contrary to what a fashion editor might tell you, the rise of the wristwatch had little to do with demise of the waistcoat. Rather, the real story is far more interesting. Pocket watches were simply not practical during the trench warfare of WWI. An officer would have to holster his sidearm in order to check the time. This was all the more important when your infantry charge was scheduled immediately following an artillery barrage! Give the order too soon and you send the men running into their own shells, too late and the enemy has regained their positions. Similarly, picture the pilot of a reconnaissance plane. It’s important to know down to the minute when the ridge is clear but he doesn’t necessarily want to let go of the controls to verify the time.
The Industry Takes Notice
Early in the war jewelers answered the demand for wristwatches by soldering fixed wire lugs onto full size cases. Today, this is known as a “trench” case after the battlefield location where they saw the most use. These converted pocket watches were the original monster tool watches, often larger than 50mm in width! Later, watchmakers such as Elgin in the United States and Omega in Switzerland began producing trench watches using ladies movements in smaller trench-style cases. Variations were introduced that soon appeared in the civilian market. The “driver’s style” had the lugs placed at 3:00 and 9:00 o’clock on the case, angling the watch so it could be easily read while holding a steering wheel. Several military pieces also included a wire grill that extended over the dial in order to protect the crystal from the stress of battle. One of the most sought after post-war descendants of this style became known as the “telephone dial” due to the resemblance the grill apertures have to a rotary phone.
Watchmaking and History Today
The widespread use of the wristwatch in the First World War underscores a fundamental value of the horological world, the merger of history with innovation. Our favorite brands are the marques with established histories and many of today’s most popular watches are either pedigreed tool watches or revivals of vintage classics. The trend extends beyond the shape of a case or name on a dial. The venerable Unitas 6497 and 6498 calibers, popular today for their large and hypnotic balance wheels, were originally intended for use in pocket watches.
At Father Time we have seen countless examples of wartime and civilian trench watches pass under the loupes of our dedicated watchmakers. In a market that craves history, it’s a style that will never lose its popularity, as these are the original men’s wristwatches. In my opinion trench cases are undervalued and we will see an increase in rarity (and therefore price) as these watches disappear into collections. Father Time is also dedicated to the innovation half of the equation. We case and finish our own military style manual-winds in-house in a variety of historic styles. Additionally, we offer a select number of military pocket watches that have been re-cased as wristwatches so that these old warhorses can continue to serve for another century or more.
Father Time Antiques is the U.S. Midwest’s largest retailer and restorer of antique and vintage timepieces. The author, Andrew Cannon, is a twenty-four year old enthusiast living in Chicago.
From Women’s Accessory to Military Tool
Vintage and modern wristwatches are far more popular among collectors of both sexes today. Prior to World War One, the wristwatch was exclusively a woman’s accessory. Contrary to what a fashion editor might tell you, the rise of the wristwatch had little to do with demise of the waistcoat. Rather, the real story is far more interesting. Pocket watches were simply not practical during the trench warfare of WWI. An officer would have to holster his sidearm in order to check the time. This was all the more important when your infantry charge was scheduled immediately following an artillery barrage! Give the order too soon and you send the men running into their own shells, too late and the enemy has regained their positions. Similarly, picture the pilot of a reconnaissance plane. It’s important to know down to the minute when the ridge is clear but he doesn’t necessarily want to let go of the controls to verify the time.
The Industry Takes Notice
Early in the war jewelers answered the demand for wristwatches by soldering fixed wire lugs onto full size cases. Today, this is known as a “trench” case after the battlefield location where they saw the most use. These converted pocket watches were the original monster tool watches, often larger than 50mm in width! Later, watchmakers such as Elgin in the United States and Omega in Switzerland began producing trench watches using ladies movements in smaller trench-style cases. Variations were introduced that soon appeared in the civilian market. The “driver’s style” had the lugs placed at 3:00 and 9:00 o’clock on the case, angling the watch so it could be easily read while holding a steering wheel. Several military pieces also included a wire grill that extended over the dial in order to protect the crystal from the stress of battle. One of the most sought after post-war descendants of this style became known as the “telephone dial” due to the resemblance the grill apertures have to a rotary phone.
Watchmaking and History Today
The widespread use of the wristwatch in the First World War underscores a fundamental value of the horological world, the merger of history with innovation. Our favorite brands are the marques with established histories and many of today’s most popular watches are either pedigreed tool watches or revivals of vintage classics. The trend extends beyond the shape of a case or name on a dial. The venerable Unitas 6497 and 6498 calibers, popular today for their large and hypnotic balance wheels, were originally intended for use in pocket watches.
At Father Time we have seen countless examples of wartime and civilian trench watches pass under the loupes of our dedicated watchmakers. In a market that craves history, it’s a style that will never lose its popularity, as these are the original men’s wristwatches. In my opinion trench cases are undervalued and we will see an increase in rarity (and therefore price) as these watches disappear into collections. Father Time is also dedicated to the innovation half of the equation. We case and finish our own military style manual-winds in-house in a variety of historic styles. Additionally, we offer a select number of military pocket watches that have been re-cased as wristwatches so that these old warhorses can continue to serve for another century or more.
Father Time Antiques is the U.S. Midwest’s largest retailer and restorer of antique and vintage timepieces. The author, Andrew Cannon, is a twenty-four year old enthusiast living in Chicago.
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