Pocket watches were first made in the second half of the 16th C and originally only had one hand. During the second half on the 18th C they became more available and by the 19th C they were becoming slimmer. It was also during the mid 19th C that the inbuilt winding mechanism was introduced. By the late 19th C the pocket watches made in the greatest number; there were three types: The open faced; the 'hunter' with the hinged flip-up full cover and the 'half hunter' with a circular window in the cover. As the century ended the watches became more complex with the addition of moon-phases and more beautiful with the addition of precious metals and intricate cover designs.
An Elgin 'Hunter'with a gold-filled case from around 1910
Watches were first worn on the wrist in the early 20th C but they looked like pocket watches with wire straps to hold them around the wearer's wrist. By the end of World War One wrist-watches became much more common and by the 1930s the wrist watch won the battle to become the timepiece of preference.
