The history of watches dates back to the 17th century. Watches evolved from the spring-powered clocks which appeared in the 14th century. Timing adjusted to astronomical phenomena since ancient times. Sun clock was created while people were scouting the apparent gait of the sun.
The development of social life in the city, the administration of justice, business, and many other tasks required the development of timekeeping. The day was usually divided into 24 hours, the hour into 60 minutes and the minute was divided into 60 seconds. Then night clocks were designed: the blows of the clock tower signaled the passing of time in medieval cities.
The mechanical clocks indicated the time until the new age. Today, electricity, the quartz and atomic clock made the measuring of time very precise. In recent years, current time service is also available on the internet. Scientists figured out that the Earth’s rotation time is changing. Therefore, the length of the exact day and hour had to be redefined on an atom physical basis. The science and craft developed the clock into a timer device.
Now we take a look on the history of the Swiss watches, which are undoubtedly the world´s highest quality watches.
1685 meant a dark era for the Huguenots: Louis XIV. abolished the right of free exercise of religion, which has led to the burndown of Protestant schools and churches, and forced the Calvinists to turn to the Catholic faith – in order to save all their spiritual grace.
About 200 thousand Huguenots fled France, including a number of highly qualified, extremely talented artisans who made jewels and clocks for the most talented princes, kings and emperors, such unique pieces whose series production was still far away in time. A twist of fate was that the later French monarchs have been sending their orders already to Swiss masters to create the most unique clockpieces.
The displaced Huguenots created the foundations of Swiss watch making, they taught the tricks of the trade for the susceptible Swiss farmers that is the reason why Abraham-Louis Perrelet and Abraham-Louis Breguet -the most important figures of Swiss watchmaking- saw the light of day not on French, but Swiss earth. Perrelet already invents the automatic mechanism in 1780, while Breguet prepares the world´s first watch for Queen Maria Carolina in 1812.
The Swiss watchmaking played a number one role in the development of the watches in the last century. This is due to the evolution of history, geographical situation, the special circumstances and the fact that the Swiss masters were innovators without parallels.
Continuous improvements were initially directed to the wall clocks to be placed into wearable forms of pocket watch, to work more reliably and more accurately and then to prepare even smaller devices, watches, that can be worn on arm.
However, the watches posed newer and newer challenges because the structures (and the cases which hided the structures)had to be made resistant against much more external mechanical impacts, even though a hundred years ago watches were not water resistant. The clocks demanded more and more delicate, more precise, less and less in-depth solutions to what a lot of planning, development, and want to correct it, and got to watch the current level.
The design and improve the potential to improve the structures were all Swiss watch his own, and still is, at least for those producers who are trying to save the clock structures has spent millions on advertising. A real Swiss valuable structure, whether the result of mechanically or electrically operated, based on a vast knowledge base, strategic development. Let´s investigate a few of these Swiss marvels:
5. Epos
Epos´s sublime collection of exclusively mechanical watches are imbued with heartfelt passion and extraordinary craftsmanship.
The brand’s roots go back to 1925; then the founder worked as an co-founder engineerin the development and the production of clockworks like Valjoux or Landeron. No wonder then, that this spirit of engineering, precision and attitude of development is still an important part of the Epos philosophy.
The factory is one of the few that can still believed in mechanical clock structures, when the world was flooded with solar quartz clocks. Epos´s inimitable uniqueness is given not only the bright hours, but the complications made in their garages and the artfully designed structures hours, which are only comparable to thosewhich cost millions.
4. Claude Bernard
Claude Bernard is a watch industry located in Switzerland ‘s oldest watch manufacturer region, which prepares it’s watches not for hire, but in it’s own workshops.
The brand operates in the immediate neighborhood of Edox, and it’s strength is in classic style, elegant watches, which are unbeatable in sophistication and price/value ratio. The classic line is fairly counterpointed with the modern, sporty Aquarider series, which was made for water sports enthusiasts, but the design is so beautiful that it even copes with a sport coat.
The factory did not forget about the ladies either : the women’s watches are elegant, irresistible, in such a degree, that people of all ages will find among them one that is able to instantly fall in love with.
3. Davosa
Although the Davos brand was just born a few decades ago, the brand’s history dates back much further. The Hasler family lives for watch making since 1861, and fathers, sons, brothers, grandchildren took over one after other the accumulated knowledge, experience and obviously the love of clocks.
The Hasler’s story is a classic, hard-working and nice story which began with the preparation of the silver cases of pocket watches, and continued with the building of a private watch industry and the assembly of clockworks, which was crowned with their first watch collection in 1987. The reawakening Renaissance of mechanical watches and their favorable prices with high quality sentenced them to success, first in Germany.
Today, Davos is an integral part of Swiss watch making, which is due to -besides their engagement-the fact that all pieces of their thoughtful, well-designed selection represents style and personality, while they would like to correspond to not only today’s but even tomorrow’s needs with their sophisticated aesthetics reflecting the spirit of the age.
These considerations are not to be rejected in the case of a clock, whose even excellent and valuable in it’s ingredients. The Davos brings the classic traditions to a higher level with an extraordinary massivity classical traditions, models designed for long-term and real specialties.
The brand is particularly strong in the mid-range with it’s mechanical/automated collection which contains numbered, limited editions, diving watches, and specific complications also. The latter, however, do not belong here, but in the higher category.
2. Louis Erard
An amazing magic sways around every Louis Erard watch: such a feeling overmasters those who put a watch on their hand like this, which cannot be described.
This is not only due to the beauty of watches, the fine mechanical structures play a bigger role in this. And these watches are made with utmost care and true love, which may also be an important aspect. The factory, which is named after the founder, carries on the tradition of the family in these days too. today.
In the early 30s, they were suppliers of well-known watch brands as a structure assembly workshop, so their names became known mostly in professional circles. The respect and appreciation -which was acquired in the coming decades- still surrounds the factory.
They have put the emphasis exclusively and persistently on the production of mechanical watches for a long time, which approach have not changed by now, except a female and a Heritage collection, whose members operate with first-rate electronic. structures. However, the backbone of the Louis Erard collection consists of watches made with a beautiful design, unique complications and module superstructures.
1. Grovana
Recently celebrating its 90th birthday Grovana name is not attached to No revolutionary watch making developments are attached to Grovana’s name, who celebrated recently it´s 90th birthday, as they have never been doing anything more than making watches with faith, love and dedication.
The industry evolved and expanded always and constantly, but the quality of the clocks assembled by the hands of the watchmakers did not change. In recent years, Grovana´s watch collection is almost entirely renewed : besides the demanding, very beautiful, classic watches, their offer expanded with sporty and elegant chronographs (in obedience to the word of the times).
We were trying to present six of the world´s most prestigious watches, with a really high quality. These works are really impressive, and may be an integral part of a man´s “must have list”. So if you are still lacking a good framework which shows trustworthily the exact time, do not hesitate to purchase one! This is really a question of cachet.