The appearance of clocks and watches did not happen overnight, and its invention right should not belong to one person, but the result of long-term accumulation and continuous improvement of human beings.

"The earliest human beings who took mechanical timing steps, that is, the first people in Europe to use new clocks and watches, were farmers or herders, not businessmen and craftsmen, but religious people eager to worship God quickly and on time. Monks need to know the prescribed prayer time (discoverer Daniel J. Burstin). The earliest mechanical clocks were used to remind people to pray, mainly in churches. Since prayers were held only during the day, the earliest church bells rang only during the day. But soon, it was replaced by a clock that could divide day and night into equal parts and ring at the same interval.

As far as we know, the earliest recorded hourly mechanical clock was built in a church in Milan, Italy in l335. There is a sledgehammer in the clock ... it rings the clock 24 times a day. 14 ~ 15 century, the bell towers and town halls of many churches all over Europe were equipped with big clocks, which became public facilities serving the whole community, played an increasingly important role in citizens' lives and became the standard in public places. At that time, it was inconceivable that a city did not have a decent clock.

149 1 year, citizens of Lyon, France petitioned the city Council to make a public clock. "They urgently need a big clock that all citizens in the town can hear. If such a big clock is made, more businessmen will gather in the city, the citizens will be greatly gratified, happy and happy, life will be more regular, and the city will add a lot of color "(discoverer Daniel J.Boorstin). As you can imagine, when the melodious bell echoed over the town, all the people stopped to listen. What a romantic and eternal scene it was!

Early clocks and watches were quite crude, with no dial and no hour hand. They are driven by a heavy hammer and can only tell the time by ringing the bell. In order to seek higher accuracy, watch technicians in various countries constantly improve the main components of watches. In terms of power source, around 15 10, German watchmaker Peter Lehe changed the heavy hammer into a spiral spring, that is, a clockwork device. The invention of clockwork device created conditions for miniaturization of watches; In escapement, Italian physicist Galileo discovered the isochronous principle of pendulum in 1583. According to this discovery, Huygens, a Dutch scientist, invented the pendulum clock in 1657, which greatly improved the time accuracy of the clock. Twenty years later, he developed a spring device controlled by hairspring. Since then, clocks and watches have become smaller and smaller, and it is more and more convenient to carry.

It is precisely because of these two inventions of Huygens that 17 century became a watershed in the watch manufacturing industry. Several new technologies have greatly improved the accuracy of clocks and watches, and the miniaturization of clocks and watches has also created conditions for their popularization. /kloc-in the late 0/7th century, clocks and watches were no longer rare among European intellectuals and the rich. At first, they were just public tools and gradually became private timepieces.

Second, the important stage of watch development

1.1.480 ~1.750 years

Watches, which were regarded as jewels in the early days, gradually evolved into accurate timekeeping tools. From the end of 13, the old European water clock was replaced by mechanical clock, equipped with power pendulum, gear train and escapement mechanism.

After the technology of clockwork came out, watches showed concern for people's interests around 1480, and it was also seen in France and Germany from l500. It was made by the blacksmith, which locked the autocratic big clock and reduced the proportion of the clock. The earliest watches had a daily error of about 30 minutes, and the decorative use exceeded the practical function, belonging exclusively to the rich and dignitaries. They not only showed their strength and art, but also showed their openness and advancement.

2. 1 900 ~ 1 920

When creating, push the design of watches to new shapes, colors and materials. 1920s watches are mostly simple and simple in shape, and sometimes they are painted with gems and enamel, giving off colorful light.

3. 1920 ~ 1940

After the First World War, the development trend of watches can be divided into two kinds, one is precious and beautiful jewelry watches, and the other is sports-specific or technological functional watches. At the same time, it set off a revolution in watch modeling and became a new accessory to match clothes.

1929 the financial crisis on wall street reduced the purchasing power of ordinary people, and major brands began to introduce stainless steel watches. Because of the high cost, most complicated decorations are replaced by cutting surfaces and polishing surfaces.

4. 1940 ~ 1950

After 1930s, the output and demand of watches greatly exceeded those of pocket watches. War played an important role in it. When World War I broke out, many people were still using traditional pocket watches. If they want to know the exact time, they must take it out of their pockets. This is time-consuming and inconvenient in the war, and of course it can't meet the needs of combat soldiers. Therefore, some watch manufacturers made pocket watches into styles that can be tied on the wrist, which also formed the early military watches.

In World War II, both sides of the war-"Allies" and "Allies" ordered a large number of watches for their troops. Because the services are more subdivided, especially the tasks of the air force are very important, more stringent requirements are put forward for the accuracy and reliability of time service. It is in this context that the pilot watch gradually established its own appearance style and functional characteristics. They all seem to have the same feature, that is, black surface and white scales. This design has practical value. Two contrasting colors make the identification of time more convenient and clear, and the white scale is coated with special luminescent materials, so you can still see the accurate time even in the dark environment.

Military watches and special function tables account for a very important proportion in watches accepted by 1940s watch industry. Most of these watches are equipped with oversized anti-glare case, black dial, fluorescent digital time scale and fluorescent hands, which are particularly clear and eye-catching. Wan Guo and Panerai are the most representative watch manufacturers.

5. 1950 ~ 1980

1950 s, the watch industry began to pursue technical performance and launched small ultra-thin watches. Counting watches, Jaeger-LeCoultre and Vacheron Constantin are outstanding representatives, while other watch factories continue to develop precious jewelry watches. On the other hand, designers continue to explore the field of sports watches and seek new creative inspiration.

6. 1980 till now

Replication of traditional clocks and watches and complex technologies. 1979, Montblanc's "Pratile Lady Royal" series hands gradually got rid of the threat of 1973 oil crisis, and watches and jewelry became personal accessories that everyone often wore and became symbols of personal style. Around 1983, some watch factories regained the traditional art of mechanical watches, and both jewelry watches and craft watches adopted classic shapes. Many complicated menus focus on modeling, such as Langer's tourbillon watch, which fully shows the rigorous attitude of watchmakers on the dial.