Velocipede RiderHere is yet another fun bit of watch trivia. Before World War I, wrist watches were considered a bit too dainty for men. They were considered more of a ladies accessory, often referred to as wristlets. Men typically carried pocket watches, which were seen as more masculine and refined.
One of the first men's wrist watches before the Great War was the Cartier "Santos" (a version of which Cartier still produce to this day). The original version was commissioned in 1904 by aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont because he was frustrated with pocket watches while piloting his aircraft. He needed something he could glance at without letting go of the controls.
Leeloo@ruari
Did they put a compas on the other wrist? Or were plane builders smart enough to put a compas on the instrument panel but not a clock?
Did they put a compas on the other wrist? Or were plane builders smart enough to put a compas on the instrument panel but not a clock?
@leeloo I do not know but I do know that the "Flieger" watches issued by the Germans in 1940s were not permanently given to the individual military aviators. The watch was equipment that was returned after missions, much like plane itself.
@leeloo Those watches were also huge! Often 55mm in early models and designed to be worn over flight suits, so always ready and highly legible.
@leeloo I speculate now but it might be that the reason they were not part of the plane itself was because they were wound and accurately set and synced before they entered the plane.
Syncing for military operations might be harder once you are in the plane. You do not need that for a compass.
But againā¦ I speculate here.
@leeloo Ok I started looking it up.
It seems like the aircraft typically did have cockpit clocks, but these watches offered hacking seconds for more precise synchronization. The portability also allowed for use outside the cockpit. Plus redundancy timing in case of instrument failure.
@leeloo I am supposed to be sleeping now by the way, not reading pages like this. š¤£
A Crash Course In Flieger (Pilot) And B-Uhren (Navigator) Watches Covering Both Historic And Modern Examples (A Pilot's Watch Photofest!) - Quill & Pad
The majority of today's numerous flieger-style watches are inspired by the now-iconic German pilotās and navigator's watches of World War II, becoming a genre unto themselves. Bhanu Chopra flies high to take a deep dive into the long history of this popular style.