wristwatch

timekeeping device

Also known as: wristlet watch

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Last updated

July 21, 2026

Quick Summary

A wristwatch is a small watch worn on the wrist, typically attached by a bracelet or strap. The first wristwatches appeared around 1896. Prior to wristwatches, portable timepieces, known as watches, were carried in pockets or worn around the neck. These early watches, dating back to the 1500s, were often driven by a mainspring and had only an hour hand. The development of the balance spring and later the lever escapement significantly improved their accuracy. Modern wristwatches can be mechanical, powered by a mainspring, or electronic, utilizing batteries and integrated circuits.12

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Rolex
…his company’s future on the wristwatch. He came up with the brand name Rolex, registered it as a trademark in 1908, and set out to make wristwatches that were both manly and fashionable. In 1914, in an early display of his considerable talent for generating publicity, Wilsdorf had the British…
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…his company’s future on the wristwatch. He came up with the brand name Rolex, registered it as a trademark in 1908, and set out to make wristwatches that were both manly and fashionable. In 1914, in an early display of his considerable talent for generating publicity, Wilsdorf had the British…
Read More