Timeline · three sections
WristwatchPocket watchTimekeeping

The milestones that made the modern watch.

Open any point on the timeline to see who built it, what it changed, and the mechanism it introduced.

1972 Steel priced like gold Audemars Piguet Moment
1930 The first antimagnetic wristwatch Tissot First
1947 The first audible alarm watch Vulcain First
1969 The first automatic chronograph sold Seiko First
1945 The first automatic chronometer with date Rolex First
1923 The first automatic wristwatch Fortis First
1994 The first big date wristwatch A. Lange & Söhne First
1956 The first day-date wristwatch Rolex First
1972 The first digital watch Hamilton First
1932 The first diving watch Omega First
1925 The first dual-time wristwatch Longines First
1957 The first electric wristwatch Hamilton First
1931 The first free winding rotor Rolex First
1955 The first GMT wristwatch Rolex First
1969 The first high-beat chronograph Zenith First
1904 The first men’s wristwatch Cartier First
1892 The first minute repeater wristwatch Audemars Piguet First
1953 The first modern diver’s watch Blancpain First
1969 The first modular automatic chronograph Heuer First
1925 The first perpetual calendar wristwatch Patek Philippe First
1941 The first perpetual chronograph Patek Philippe First
1969 The first quartz wristwatch Seiko First
1999 The first quartz-regulated mainspring watch Seiko First
1931 The first reversible wristwatch Jaeger-LeCoultre First
1915 The first separate chronograph pusher Breitling First
1936 The first serial flyback chronograph Longines First
1941 The first serial perpetual calendar Patek Philippe First
1976 The first solar watch with hands Citizen First
1923 The first split-seconds wristwatch Patek Philippe First
1868 The first Swiss wristwatch Patek Philippe First
1960 The first tuning-fork watch Bulova First
1934 The first two-pusher chronograph Breitling First
1969 The first watch on the Moon Omega Moment
1926 The first waterproof wristwatch Rolex First
1937 The first world time wristwatch Patek Philippe First
1913 The first wrist chronograph calibre Longines First
2025 The most complicated wristwatch Vacheron Constantin First
1887 The oscillating pinion Heuer Invention
1983 The Swiss answer to quartz Swatch Moment
1991 The two-disc big date is patented Jaeger-LeCoultre Invention
1983 The watch built to be dropped Casio Moment
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1868 — TODAY