Posts tagged watch
In Your Pocket: A 17th Century Idea (Inside 21st Century Casing)
Pocketwatches first came into being in the 1600s. They were technically invented nearly a century earlier, but were boxy and worn around the neck (see: William Jonathan Drayton Junior).
It was not until the 20th century that timepiece miniaturization became relatively inexpensive, even moreso with quartz movement. Wristwatches became commonplace.
Miniaturization was top of mind. The Dick Tracy comic introduced the two-way wrist radio. Naturally, as cell phones shrunk to manageable sizes in the late 1990s, some wondered if this was the future of the telephone…and the wristwatch. Consumers and businesses alike.
Some even tried to produce models in the early 21st century. But no one really wants to wear this around. Or this. And that’s the best they’ve got.
We have moved back to the pocketwatch. Wristwatches are disappearing as that classic gift from father to son. Twenty years ago, no one left home without one. Now, the time of day is your phone’s screensaver.
The Dick Tracy dream might have seemed feasible before SMS and mobile Internet took off, but there are too many expectations and not enough space. And that’s why time is, once again, in your pocket.
