The next stage of advancement was the ever-so-adorable pocket watch. In the 1600’s, the upper crust was extraordinarily concerned with fashion, and apparently the pocket watch was crafted after King Charles II of England brought the fashion of the waistcoat to hip gentlemen in Europe. Pocket watches still exist (in a sort of meta, anachronistic kind of way), but the originals were quite inaccurate. It wasn’t until 1657 and the invention of the balance spring that minute and even second hands were used. In 1765, chronometers started being used, and pretty delicate temperature compensations further whittled down the margin of error on fine pocket watches.

In the early 1800’s, what’s known as a lever escapement was created by a watch worker Thomas Mudge, and suddenly pocket watches were much more viable and popular, and not only for the rich. In 1850 with the onset of the industrial revolution, humanity suddenly realized the potential of mass production, and something of a ‘pop culture’ obsession grew around pocket watches and later, wristwatches.

Wristwatches has actually been in use for quite sometime by women, who were thought not to possess the correct garb (or enough masculinity) to successfully carry a pocket watch everywhere, and thus were reduced to strapping timepieces to their wrists. It wasn’t until about the 20th century that wristwatches became a man’s item, as well.

The original wristwatches were called ‘trench’ watches, and they were much larger than today’s wristwatches. In 1923, John Harwood revolutionized the watch-making world when he invented a watch that could wind itself, and pocket watches were history.

In the 1950’s, electric watches came onto the scene, and in 1969 quartz watches graced the world stage. As accuracy was pinpointed to the perfectly predictable oscillations of these fine new instruments, wrist watches became more about performance and less about fashion, though of course they still remain a staple accessory and beautiful pieces of technology.

Today, many fear that with the onset of cell phones, iStuff, and hand held computing devices, watches will go the way of the dinosaurs. Why bother strapping and antiquated technology to your wrist when you can access a multitude of information with your electronics?

Because there is something timeless about the timekeeping of a watch- the slow, inexorable ticking of our passage through the 4th dimension that can’t be captured on the glowing screen of an iPhone. There will always be a place for beautiful, functional wristwatches in the world.

The most obvious question while buying a wrist watch would be to first identify the purpose of purchasing the wrist watch. Whether it is to serve as just an occasional fashion accessory that one might wear in parties or is it going to be for casual every day use. There are also watches for some specific purpose for example diving, running and other sports. Some wrist watches feature GPS systems which are useful on journeys in seeking directions to locations.

If one dresses to impress, then buying a plain gold or silver watch would be perfect. They increase the pride and esteem of the individual and make them appealing to others. If one wants to buy watches for parties and special occasions then full gold watches would be perfect as they catch the eye of almost everyone and are bound to keep your wrists the centre of attraction.

Another category of watches are designer watches which are especially for those who want to make a fashion statement by wearing the latest and the most fashionable items on the market. Although they get old very quickly because fashion never stays for long but to those who prefer fashion over everything then such watches are probably the best.

For those who possess a more athletic personality rather than an executive personality then sports watches might be the best for such people. They offer different features which are useful to athletes such as stopwatch, temperature sensors and air pressure sensors. They also feature unique design which suits the needs of the athletes. Diving watches also provide unique features like depth meter and pressure sensor which are useful for underwater diving.

These days, new watches are available which include a mobile phone or a GPS device or other such gadgets. These watches are especially useful for those who want to be “in” on the latest in the tech world. These watches not only have impressive features like camera or walkman feature but they also have stylish looks which make them the more interesting and impressive.

For females, there are watches in the shape of bracelets which make them a piece of jewellery as well as fulfilling the need for a watch. There are some watches available in the markets which have diamonds attached in the dials or the straps which are an ideal for women bent on impressing their friends on the basis of fashion. Although they are incredibly expensive but for those who want style at any cost these are the best among the lot.

In the end it must be said that watches suit one’s personality and preference. Some people like expensive and stylish watches while other want them only for utility therefore there is no general rule as to which watch is the best for all. However one should always buy the thing which satisfies one’s needs whatever they may be.

First thing do is to check the manual. Although your watch operation isn’t really rocket science, you’ll find the handy instructions helpful and you might want to keep them at hand. Bedsides letting you know what your watch can or can’t do, it will provide you with any special requirements and instruction that your watch might have and also some cleaning tips.

Every manufacturer will recommend taking the watch in, for maintenance work, every 2 years or so. If you and your watch are an active couple, you might want to spoil your watch with new water proof or resistant materials, body wax and shine, fix the movement and test the overall status of your beloved timepiece.

When a watch is dirty it wears faster. This is true to every part of the watch, from the bracelet to the crown. When the bracelet is dirty and sticky, you should detach the bracelet and let is soak in soapy water. When you finish soaking, scrub the bracelet, the links, and hinges on both sides and remove the residue. It’s best to dry the bracelet with a cloth that will not leave lint between the links. If you can not remove the bracelet and your watch is not waterproof – take it to a watchmaker or jeweler and let them do the work for you.

Same goes for the crown. If there is dirt, it can get into your case and destroy the inside. If you think you can handle taking your watch apart, make sure you know what you are doing and how to put it back. If not – take it to a jeweler or a watchmaker.

You’ll need a clean workspace, a small and delicate screwdriver set, tweezers and remember to breathe regularly. Use special parts cleaner and soak the parts and screws that you take off, one by one, in their order, so you won’t mix them up later. Clean the parts with a small brush and make sure they get dry.

If you are really brave, you can also oil the inside springs, hands and basically take the entire thing apart and soak it in the cleaner. But we’re not going to tell you how. We don’t need any angry emails…

After the mainspring was invented in the 15th century, wrist watches were invented as it was not possible to make these before the invention of the mainspring. Patek Philippe in 1868 invented a portable watch that was intended to be a lady’s bracelet watch. It was thought of as jewellery and was thus “unmanly,” so males did not wear them.

However, in 1904 Cartier was asked by an aviator friend to make a watch that could be used during flights. He invented the Santos wristwatch which was the first wristwatch made for men, and was designed to be practical in use. These became very popular during World War I as officers could use them easily, unlike a pocket watch which was inconvenient.

Since watches were designed to be practical implements to be used while men were working, it made sense to design them to be worn on the left hand, as most people are right handed, so that it would be easy to both hold a weapon and look at the time at the same time.

Furthermore, since early wristwatches had to be wound, they were worn on the left hand with the winding knob facing outwards so that the person wearing it could easily wind it up using their right hand, and not have to face the inconvenience of having to use the wrong hand to wind it up.

Another reason for wearing wristwatches on the left hand is that the watch does not get damaged easily. Since we use our right hand for most actions, if we wore our watches on the right hand we would inevitably end up banging it into things a lot and thus breaking it sooner.

Finally, it is possible that the arm the watch was made for was based simply on the whim of the first inventors of the wristwatch.

Regardless of the reason, people nowadays wear the watch on whatever hand seems more convenient to them.  Professionals such as construction workers, doctors’ etc wear watches on left hand, while many other people choose to wear the watch on the right hand. Of course, left-handed people now wear watches on the right hand since it is more convenient for them.

Since, there is now “right” arm to wear the watch on; they are now made so that they can be worn on either warm. Modern wristwatches do not need to be wound, thus making it possible to wear them on whichever arm is more convenient for the owner of the watch, regardless of what history may have to say on the topic.