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You are here: Home1 / Watch Brands & Horology2 / Breguet3 / The First Wristwatches From Breguet, Hermès And Patek Philippe Were Made ...

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The First Wristwatches From Breguet, Hermès And Patek Philippe Were Made . . . For Women

by Elizabeth Doerr

Early American historian and Harvard professor Laurel Thatcher Ulrich titled her 2008 book Well-Behaved Women Seldom Make History.

Ulrich, of course, was mainly referring to American women found in literature. But she would probably be very interested to know about three famous Swiss and French brands whose very first wristwatches were made for – and in a way by – women.

And not all of these women would have necessarily been deemed “well-behaved” in their day.

Caroline Murat, Reine de Naples

Caroline Murat, queen of (Reine de) Naples

Caroline Murat and Breguet

Caroline Murat was the sister of Napoleon Bonaparte and the queen of Naples. The Bonapartes were relatively ambitious as well as proud of displaying their status and wealth.

Thus, Caroline often engaged in royal intrigue. According to a document reprinted by the Napoleonic Historical Society of America, she also possessed a pure, pale complexion and felt that wearing jewels was disadvantageous to her skin.

Portrait of Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747-1823)

Portrait of Abraham-Louis Breguet (1747-1823)

I conclude that perhaps this is why she became so enamored of the products created by the most prominent watchmaker of the time, Abraham-Louis Breguet, who lived in Paris. Breguet was the preferred horologist of Europe’s rich, famous and royal.

At the time, he generally made pocket watches and carriage clocks, sumptuously complicated and lavishly finished. Though these objects were as a rule almost always sold to men, there are always exceptions to every rule.

The world’s first wristwatch

According to Emmanuel Breguet, historian and descendant of the man considered watchmaking’s greatest personality, Caroline Murat bought her first Breguet in 1805, when she was just 23 years old. By 1814 Murat had bought 34 timepieces from Breguet, including one in 1812 that would become Breguet’s – and the world’s – first wristwatch.

Co-designed by the exacting queen, Breguet’s timepiece number 2639 was an “oblong repeater for bracelet.” The watch was delivered two-and-a-half years after it was commissioned, and sold for the princely sum of 4,800 French francs (as an aside, this was 200 francs less than his original estimate to her when she ordered it).

In addition to the unusual case shape, one jewelry element aided in distinguishing it from every other timepiece of the era: a wristlet made of hair woven with gold thread.

While the key-wound quarter-repeating movement, which also contained a mechanical thermometer, was typical of Breguet’s style, the oval case was decidedly not. Pocket watches were almost always round, and it was only a decade later that manufacturers frequently made “shaped” cases for wristwatches to signify that they were purpose-built for the wrist rather than being pocket watches with soldered lugs.

The Breguet Reine de Naples

Breguet’s Reine de Naples 200-year anniversary piece with repeating movement

A modern interpretation

In 2002, the modern Breguet brand introduced the Reine de Naples line in tribute to this exceptional historical piece, which was last seen in 1855 when it returned to Breguet’s workshop for repair.

The modern line is characterized by an elegant oval case that is still unusually shaped even by today’s standards. It also displays technical movement prowess and playful bracelets like that of the queen’s original timepiece, descriptions of which have been handed down by watchmakers.

Breguet CEO Marc A. Hayek’s “authentic ode to femininity” became even more luxurious in October 2012 in Naples’ Reggia di Capodimonte (Caroline Murat’s palazzo, now a world-class museum) as he celebrated both ten years of the modern Queen of Naples line and 200 years since the completion of the queen’s original oeuvre by creating a unique anniversary timepiece, along with a platinum jewelry suite comprising a ring, a pair of earrings, a necklace, a tiara, and, of course, the very special repeating wristwatch.

The unique piece white gold wristwatch measures 38.45 x 30.4 mm and is adorned with 330 blue sapphires. Time is displayed on a silver-plated gold dial (luxuriously set with diamonds and sapphires like the case) that showcases the hammers of the repeating movement at 11 and 1 o’clock.

The diamond heart of a gold, engraved rose between the hammers indicates whether the hour will be sounded or the mechanism is set to “silent.” The petite automatic movement displays true pioneering spirit: it incorporates Breguet’s fundamental research into the acoustics of repeating movements in addition to the brand’s own silicon hairspring, ensuring that this unique piece is also cutting edge in terms of modern technology.

Jacqueline Hermès (2nd from left) with her sisters

Jacqueline Hermès (second from left) with her sisters

Hermès, an inadvertent trendsetter

In 1912, precisely 100 years after Breguet’s first Reine de Naples, a bold young girl was responsible for Hermès inadvertently creating the French icon’s first wristwatch.

The story goes that Jacqueline Hermès, a third-generation member of the Hermès family (founder Thierry Hermès’ granddaughter), disliked the way she had to carry her small pocket watch, considering that it was not “handy” enough for her active leisure activities. She thus asked her father to encase it in a leather “pocket” that would allow her to strap it to her wrist.

Hermès Porte oignon

The Hermès Porte-Oignon

Her father called it the “porte-oignon.”

Hermes In the Pocket

Hermès’ modern In The Pocket

The result is visible in a famous photograph (above), and in late 2012 (precisely a century later) La Montre Hermès honored its creation with a new “pocket” watch simply and playfully called – as Hermès is wont to do – In The Pocket.

Modern Hermès In the Pocket

Modern Hermès In The Pocket

In The Pocket allows the owner to decide whether it should be worn in the pocket, on the wrist, or around the neck, thus making a delicate link to Hermès’ illustrious past.

The first Patek Philippe wristwatch

The first Patek Philippe wristwatch

Patek Philippe’s first wristwatch

In 1868, Patek Philippe manufactured a very lovely and dainty timepiece on a yellow gold bracelet. Its rectangular yellow gold case was embellished with enamel and diamonds as well as decoration belonging to the highest jeweler’s art.

This beauty hides a tiny 6-line (13.5 mm) key-wound movement with a cylinder escapement.

Sold to Hungarian Countess Koscowicz on November 13, 1876, Patek Philippe’s first wristwatch was specifically conceived to be a wristwatch rather than a transformed pocket or pendant watch.

Patek Philippe minute repeater wristwatch circa 1016

Patek Philippe’s first minute repeater for the wrist from 1916

Forty-eight years later, Patek Philippe created its first repeater for the wrist. Naturally, this was also made for a woman. A five-minute repeater with two gongs built upon a Victorin Piguet ébauche, this complicated platinum specimen with a richly hand-engraved 33.8 mm case and integrated bracelet was sold to a certain D.O. Wickham in New York.

Unfortunately, there is just about no historical information on either Countess Koscowicz or Ms. D.O. Wickham, so it’s impossible to say if they were “well behaved” or not. However, they were without a doubt trendsetters.

But I’m sure they would agree that technology never sounded – or looked – so appealing.

11 replies

Trackbacks & Pingbacks

  1. Are Women’s Watches Becoming More Fashionable & Popular? says:
    June 11, 2019 at 2:09 pm

    […] 1868, Patek Philippe manufactured a dainty yellow gold bracelet for Countess Koscowicz of Hungary, specifically designed […]

    Reply
  2. Battles Of Breguet Part Two: Waterloo | Quill & Pad says:
    March 6, 2019 at 10:59 pm

    […] Notable among them was, of course, Caroline Murat, queen of Naples and Napoleon’s sister. She ordered large quantities of Breguet watches and clocks, prominently among them the very first wristwatch in history (see more about her and her purchases in The First Wristwatches From Breguet, Hermès And Patek Philippe Were Made . . . For Women). […]

    Reply
  3. Are Straps The Ultimate Watch Accessory? Breguet, Hublot, And Bulgari Seem To Think So | Quill & Pad says:
    March 7, 2018 at 9:39 pm

    […] Watch straps have come a long way since the era of Caroline Murat (née Bonaparte), who is said to have commissioned the world’s first wristwatch from the talented and accomplished Abraham-Louis Breguet (see The First Wristwatches From Breguet, Hermès And Patek Philippe Were Made . . .  For Women). […]

    Reply
  4. Santos de Cartier 2018: One Of The World's First Men's Wristwatches Reinvented | Quill & Pad says:
    February 22, 2018 at 9:35 pm

    […] decades behind women – see The First Wristwatches From Breguet, Hermès And Patek Philippe Were Made . . . For Women – it wasn’t until 1904 that one of the first wristwatches for men would be […]

    Reply
  5. Hermès Carré H: The Perfect Square To Round Out A Hip Homme | Quill & Pad says:
    January 15, 2018 at 1:08 pm

    […] 100 years after young Jaqueline Hermès inadvertently created the brand’s first wristwatch (see The First Wristwatches From Breguet, Hermès And Patek Philippe Were Made . . . For Women), a timepiece her farther called the […]

    Reply
  6. 60 Years Of Piaget Altiplano: Sophisticated Style Versus Fugitive Fashion | Quill & Pad says:
    September 19, 2017 at 3:10 pm

    […] The holy grail of this ongoing quest for smaller sizes was famously attained when a convenient method of timekeeping was finally put on the wrist, largely symbolized in the modern era by Louis Cartier having attached a slim watch case to a strap in 1904. This was a genius idea born of need: his Brazilian friend Alberto Santos-Dumont, a pioneer of the early days of aviation, had complained about the inconvenience of pulling a pocket watch out during his adventurous flights when his undivided attention was crucial for survival. However, women had already been fashionably wearing watches for decades before that (see The First Wristwatches From Breguet, Hermès, And Patek Philippe Were Made  . . . For Women). […]

    Reply
  7. Scarab Beetle Elytra Marquetry Makes The Hermès Arceau Pocket Ailes Et Ecailles Particularly Uncommon . . . And Beautiful | Quill & Pad says:
    June 6, 2017 at 9:30 pm

    […] called In The Pocket. It was based on the timepiece that young Jacqueline Hermès wore in 1912 (see The First Wristwatches From Breguet, Hermès And Patek Philippe Were Made . . . For Women), which inadvertently turned into Hermès’ first wristwatch: a small pocket watch that can be […]

    Reply
  8. Queen For A Day: Breguet Reine De Naples Haute Joaillerie | Quill & Pad says:
    November 25, 2016 at 11:22 am

    […] She also happened to order the very first watch designed to be worn on the wrist as far as we are aware. For more on that story, read The First Wristwatches From Breguet, Hermès and Patek Philippe Were Made . . . For Women. […]

    Reply
  9. Let Them Eat Cake: The Intriguing Story Of Marie Antoinette And Her Legendary Breguet Pocket Watch No. 160 | Quill & Pad says:
    July 21, 2016 at 6:11 pm

    […] Breguet had left his native Switzerland in 1762, founding his famous workshop on the banks of the Seine in 1775. It was Abbot Joseph-François Marie, a man with close ties to the French court, who took the watchmaker under his wing, aiding him in establishing connections with those in power – including the queen of Naples, Caroline Murat (see Queen For A Day: Breguet Reine De Naples Haute Joaillerie), who bought 34 timepieces from Breguet throughout her lifetime, including the first wristwatch Breguet ever manufactured (see The First Wristwatches From Breguet, Hermès And Patek Philippe Were Made . . . For Women). […]

    Reply
  10. Eleven Regal Timepieces From Patek Philippe’s Grand Exhibition At London’s Saatchi Gallery | Quill & Pad says:
    June 2, 2016 at 4:33 pm

    […] This ladies’ wristwatch from 1868 could be considered one of the very first modern wristwatches in history. It did not start life as a pocket watch fitted to a bracelet, but was designed to be a rectangular yellow gold “secret” hunter-style wristwatch from the beginning. Wound by key, its white enamel dial features upright, painted Breguet numerals protected in a “secret” manner by a case decorated with black enamel and rose-cut diamonds. For more on this particular watch, please read The First Wristwatches From Breguet, Hermès, And Patek Philippe Were Made . . .  For Women. […]

    Reply
  11. Quill & Pad | Guillaume de Seynes Of Hermès On Wristwatches And The Power Of Orange says:
    December 4, 2014 at 6:07 am

    […] reading: The First Wristwatches From Breguet, Hermès and Patek Philippe Were Made . . . For Women for more on how the first watch on a leather strap came into existence. How Hermès Transforms […]

    Reply

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