Introduction

The watch industry has continued to flourish and gain ground in today’s world. You might wonder why this is; time controls the world, and the watch tells time. The saying “time waits for no one” prompts us to possess a watch to always be on time.

Watches are designed to be worn on the wrist, making them accessible and portable to carry about. 

However, this has not always been the case for watches at their early invention. In the 17th century, people carried watches either in the pocket or held it because watches then were designed to be pocket watches until the 19th century when they designed them with straps mainly for ladies.

Notable with the watch industry is how it constantly evolves to different shades. Watches have moved from just being time tellers to very significant instruments to aid man’s activities. This article will look at the history of watches, how the industry has maintained growth, and its rise to luxury. We will also explore different watch trends and give you a guide on the various watch sizes.

• Growth and revolution of the watch Industry
• Watch trends in the recent years
• How to pick the perfect watch size for hand

Growth and Revolution of the Watch Industry

Watches were invented in the 17th century. They got the conceptualization from spring-powered clocks, a portable clock invented in the 14th-15th century. The idea of watches then was strictly to know the time of the day. So inventors were more concerned about getting an accurate time and paid less attention to fashion. Watches were first designed as pocket watches, but they built them with civilisation and necessity for the wrist. There are different revolutions in the development of watches. There are four revolutions of watches.

• Mechanical revolution
• Electrical revolution
• Quarts revolution
• Digital revolution

Mechanical Revolution

During this period, the production of watches was fully mechanical. It took a lot of effort and time to produce these watches. Also, the operating method was not satisfying, and one could not solely depend on it. Like the spring-powered clock, the watch was powered by manually winding a mainspring, which transfers energy to its internal wheels; they did this periodically to help measure time.

However, many factors affected the movement of the watch; friction, temperature, gravity. When there’s friction, the speed rate of the watch will reduce, thereby giving the wrong time. An improvement to this was that the mainspring rotates with the movement of the person holding it. This was not a better option either. If the person stops moving, the watch stops functioning. At first mechanical watches were valuable and widely accepted but soon started declining with the invention of electrical watches.

Electrical watches

The electrical watch was a step up from the mechanical watches. The watch used a balance wheel to increase the timekeeping accuracy. The balance wheel was powered by an electrical battery oscillating it at 5-6 beats per second. 

Although, some watches that they produced in this period did not need the traditional balance wheel. The Bulova company watches used a tuning-fork resonator to keep time. However, these watches soon developed into quartz watches. Electric watches are better than mechanical watches. However, when the battery runs down, it faces inaccuracy as it stops working. The batteries, when not water-resistant, are likely to have a short life span. 

Quarts Revolution

Quartz watches which were also electrical were better options than mechanical or electrical watches. They are designed with a quartz crystal which helps keep time as they vibrate. An electrical battery was used to power them, which caused them to oscillate at a higher frequency, sending energy to turn the wheels in the watch. The quartz crystal resonator vibrated at 8,192 Hz. There was a large commercial production and sales of the quartz watch, and the people greatly welcomed it.

Digital Revolution

These are the modern-day watches that started in the early 21st century. The watches are smart computerized watches designed to be worn on your wrist. These watches not only function as timekeepers. Digital watches come in different types with different functions. Some have LED displays, LCD, calculators, built-in television screens, storage for data from their computer, dial telephone numbers, thermometer, the ability to transcribe languages, and many other more functions.

Trends in the Watch Industry in Recent years

These days we appreciate watches as beautiful works of art rather than mere timepieces. There are now watches designed like jewelry to fit in with our clothes. You can get the gold, silver or leather design. We hardly get enough wristwatches because, just as jewelry, we use them to match our clothing. 

There are watches appropriate for formal, informal, and sporty dressing. This is why the watch industry will continue to flourish. As luxury watches emerge now and then, they are still greatly welcomed by consumers who see them as opportunities to come out in grand styles. Someone putting on an expensive luxury watch will continue to flaunt it to the admiration of everyone. 

However, just like every other trend, watches come and go every year. And with the new models coming every day, it will be hard for you to take your eyes off them. 2021 Watches and Wonders kept us gushing over some tremendous watches from high-selling brands. These luxurious watches are not only beautiful but efficient as well. And they have certain features that will keep them in vogue either for a long or short period. Even if you decide to have newer ones, your older ones should also stand the test of time. You should take note of the following before getting watches.

Sustainability

Brands produce watches that they know won’t go out of trend. Popular watches today are a rebrand of what existed in the 90s and give it a present-day interpretation. People will continue to patronize these brands because they offer retro aesthetics.

The vintage timepiece has continually stood the test of time. It makes it affordable and in trend. Examples of these are Casio and Longines watches.

Minimalist

These watches have simple designs. Their production involves using only the necessary elements, yet they are expressive and attractive watches. All brands have a way of expressing minimalism. They are classy yet simple.

Colour

Colour has been the trend for some years now. They steal the market at a particular time. Since the launching of Rolex rose gold Rainbow Daytona, colour has taken over. Every brand opts for new colours and designs to add fun to its collections. Rolex seems to start this for other brands to follow.

Smart

For a technology age, every trend has to be technologically innovative. Young people are more excited about these products. Having your watch do everything for you; measure your heartbeat, track your steps, connect to Bluetooth, and so on. Who wouldn’t want such an easy life? This trend continues to come in a new dimension and has influenced the recent market. Brands like Rolex, Apple, Suunto, Garman are notable for these. 

With smart and luxurious watches coming out every day, the question of whether the traditional watches will go extinct becomes paramount. As long as they meet the trending criteria, then they can stay for as long.

How to pick the perfect watch size for your hand

Do you find it challenging to get your size of watch at a goal? Well, there’s nothing wrong with testing as many as you can, but being a professional with your body sizes makes it easier to go for the best at every given time.

The size and types of watch are factors to consider before you buy your watch. The beauty of the watch on your hand is when it fits in perfectly. There are different sizes of watches for different hand sizes. It is therefore essential to know your size and the type that will complement your personality. Here are some guides in helping you find your watch sizes. 

Know your wrist size

The wrist is where the watch sits. So you should know your wrist size. A simple way of achieving this is using a measurement tape for your wrist. Or take a paper round your wrist and mark where it stops with a pen. Check it on a ruler to know your wrist measurement. Wrist sizes are; thin, average, and thick. If your wrist is 14-16cm, it is considered thin. If it is between 16-18cm, it is average. And if it is above 18, then it is thick. 

Know the watch sizes

Watch sizes are determined by lots of factors. Firstly the case diameter goes a long way to determine the wrist strap. On average, with a very big wrist, your watch case diameter should be between 44-46mm, but for a small, slender, and medium wrist, your watch case diameter will be either 38mm, 40mm, or 42mm. As the watch case increases or decreases, so does the thickness and size. 

Know your band’s width, type, and material

These are determinants of how the watch will look in your hand. When choosing a band, you should choose one that is half of the watch diameter.

For a thin and average watch, a dress watch will sit pretty on it. Sport watches are more refined for the thick wrist. 

You should also choose the strap as desired, whether metal, leather, fabric, or nylon. Many metals and leathers are feminine, as well as masculine. 

Conclusion

Conclusively, the watch market is not something that will end anytime soon. We see different trends and styles every day, and consumers are always ready for new inventions. Thousands of luxury watches get sold every year. Brands like Apple and Rolex still came up with a more sophisticated watch and, of course, a more expensive watch, even amidst the 2020 pandemic. Many people who don’t have money for the original go for the counterfeit of these products. From estimation, these counterfeit traders make about US$1 billion markets per year.

There are several other ways to check the time with our technological society, and watches may not be necessary today. However, watch industries are not ready to go extinct, so they go whatever length they can in diversifying the function of watches and satisfying their consumers.