Shaping History: Early Designs

In the beginning, circular shapes dominated early wristwatch design. Round made sense—evolving from clocks, with their round dials, a case that followed suit seemed logical. The circle also slips easily into a pocket, where watches replica were first carried, and is structurally the strongest shape. Round gaskets seal better than those with right angles. And a circle is somehow emblematic of the passage of time as the hands run their circular course, bringing renewal each midnight.

But somewhere along the way, design trumped pure logic and some watches replica defied convention with bold new shapes, from slim dress watches replica to massive dive watches replica. While some experiments never caught on, several others did, becoming horological icons, carrying on to the present day. Pocket watches replica, by and large, changed form little through the nineteenth century. Case making techniques weren’t all that sophisticated and watchmakers chose to focus on the development of new complications and a pursuit of accuracy. The outsourcing of case manufacturing meant that most watch companies got their cases from a handful of case specialists and were often interchangeable, the watches replica only distinguishable by the names and logos on their dials.

By the beginning of the 20th century, the austerity of the Victorian Age was lifting and expanding cities brought a fashionable urban lifestyle not seen before. There was new emphasis on personal style. The Great War interrupted this movement, but by the 1920s peace and prosperity fueled experimentation and creativity.

Movements such as the Bauhaus, Art Deco and the Modernism conspired to produce an eruption of new artistic, literary and architectural styles. This was the Jazz Age, the era of Coco Chanel, Picasso, and Le Corbusier. It was also an era of great creativity in watch design.

The necessities of soldiers, who preferred to view the time on their wrists rather than after digging for a pocket watch, did much to nudge the inevitable acceptance of the wristwatch. By the 1920s, pocket watches replica were less common.

But that didn’t stop Movado from building one for the times. The Ermeto (hermetic or sealed in Greek) debuted in 1926 and was emblematic of that era. The watch itself had a square case that was fitted inside a two-part sliding shell that closed over the watch, protecting it. The shell itself had elegantly rounded corners and was covered in leather or enameled metal or jewels. Later versions actually wound the watch whenever the case was slid open, a true innovation for the time. The Ermeto could be worn on a chain as a pocket watch or carried in a woman’s handbag, and larger versions could be set on a table top as a travel clock.

Stay tuned for the next Shapes of History, featuring Cartier’s Tank and the rise of auto influences.