If I asked you what time it was, where would you look for the answer? A wall clock? A wrist watch? A computer screen? Your phone? It is difficult to imagine a time when personal clocks didn’t exist, when people would rely on the public clocks in their towns or villages, and a farmer or rancher only needed the sun as a guide.
So how exactly did the wrist watch become so popular? Well, it started with pocket watches, which became a useful tool for many in the 1600s. These portable clocks were fragile and subject to damage from the elements, so they were often hidden away for protection — in “pockets.”
In the 1700s, some people decided that they wanted to carry time with them in something different than a pocket watch. These “arm watches” were large and cumbersome versions of clocks that were worn on the body. Some time passed before wrist watches, as we know them today, gained popularity. The story is that wrist watches were first worn by military men. A pocket watch didn’t fit the needs of servicemen when in the heat of battle or while mounted on a horse, so soldiers began to strap watches to their wrists. These “service watches” were designed with luminous dials and unbreakable glass. By the end of the World War I, almost all enlisted men wore a wrist watch. The post-war era then opened up a mass market for these types of watches. The pocket watch popularity had faded, and wrist watches were now a must-have device for the masses.
That trend continued for decades, until consumers in recent years decided that they needed to start carrying another device — the personal cell phone. With built-in clocks, many who used cell phones didn’t see the need to wear a watch. As such, watch sales began to plummet. Then along came smart watches, and the popularity of wearing “time” returned. Who knows? Maybe pocket watches will gain popularity again, too.
Meanwhile, even with an abundance of clocks on walls, wrists, computers and phones, we still can’t seem to be on time, which leads me to quote the 1969 Chicago song, “Does anybody really know what time it is? Does anybody really care?”
Have a terrific Tuesday, and thanks for reading.
Shane Goodman
President and Publisher
Big Green Umbrella Media
shane@dmcityview.com
515-953-4822, ext. 305 | 
