The Wrist Watch

It is generally believed that wrist watches are an exception to the normal sequence in the evolution of man’s jewelry. Reversing the usual order, they were first worn by women, and then adopted by men. Until World War I, Americans associated the watch with fortune hunters. By 1924, some 30 percent of man’s watches were worn on the wrist. Today, the figure is 90 percent. And they are now worn by both men and women for practical purposes rather than for decoration.