The origins of secret watches can be traced back to the early 19th century when they were status symbols and fashionable adornments worn by ladies of stature. In an era when women were discouraged from checking the time in social settings, these discreet creations offered a practical solution.
As for men, the pocket watch was the standard timepiece during that time. Perceived as a symbol of masculinity, it embodied practicality, precision, and utilitarianism.
However, women’s elaborate and restrictive fashion then didn’t have suitable pockets for the cumbersome timepieces, so ornamental watches were ingeniously incorporated into bracelets, necklaces, brooches, and chatelaines (decorative belt hooks worn at the waist with multiple chains suspended from it), serving the dual purpose of timekeeping and as an accessory.
These feminine iterations of early watchmaking were often intricately detailed, featuring tiny painted scenes or gemstones. Interestingly, up until the early 20th century, wristwatches were almost exclusively worn by women. Oblivious to the convenience and practicality of wearing a timepiece on the wrist, men dismissed the small timekeepers as too effeminate and a passing fad. Incidentally, this would be the start of the journey of the wristwatch.
It is believed that Queen Elizabeth I of England was among the first to don a wristwatch in the 16th century, sporting an elegant time-telling charm on her wrist. Centuries later, in 1810, renowned watchmaker Abraham-Louis Breguet crafted an oval repeater timepiece mounted on a wristlet of hair and gold thread for Caroline Murat, the Queen of Naples.
In 1868, Patek Philippe created a bracelet watch for Countess Koscowicz of Hungary that cemented the wristwatch’s status among Europe’s elite. Shaped like a triptych, the ornate timepiece featured a dial concealed beneath a hinged gem-set cover that was flanked by two panels adorned with diamonds and gold. Remarkably, the wristwatch only gained proper traction during WWI, when it became an indispensable tool for military men to synchronise troop movements and plan timed attacks with precision.
Although still largely worn by women, secret watches of today occupy a specialised niche within the world of high jewellery. By masterfully combining haute joaillerie and haute horlogerie, top maisons constantly push their boundaries by demonstrating their creativity and savoir faire through peak expressions of artisanship.
Here are some of the most beautiful secret watches in the world.
CHANEL
