Ulysse Nardin Watches - Rolex Watches - Hugo Boss Watches - MontBlanc Watches - Sony Watches - Baume et Mercier Watches - Breitling Watches - Bvlgari Watches - Omega Watches - Eberhard Watches - Girard-Perregaux Watches - Longines Watches

Designer Watch History: 1 2 3 4 5

First's for watch manufacturers

In 1846, the Ulysse Nardin company was founded. Little more than a counter, its watches displayed high-quality craftsmanship and were signed by their maker. It was the beginning of an enterprise that has lasted more than 150 years. Nardin's first watches were sold in Central and South America through a Paris go-between, Lucien Dubois, who was Nardin's only customer for two years.

Nardin was felled by a heart attack in 1876, prompting his 21-year-old son, Paul-David Nardin, to take control of the company.

Paul-David Nardin proved himself an able leader, as the firm won a Gold Medal at the Paris Universal Exhibition in 1878, was awarded two Swiss patents in 1890, won First Prize at the Chicago Universal Exhibition in 1893 with a magnificent chronometer made of silver and gold, constructed nine pocket chronometers with tourbillon escapements -- the list goes on and on.

By 1915, the standards of the firm were so high that at the Naval Observatory in Washington, D.C., Ulysse Nardin took first place among 60 marine chronometers entered. In the same trial, the company took three of the first five places among 217 deck watches entered.

Hans Wilsdorf founded the company we now know as Rolex in 1905. Born in Kulmbach, Germany in 1881, the company, Wilsdorf & Davies, was based in London. By 1908 it had become one of the leading watch companies in the UK. It was in this year that he coined the name Rolex.

In 1926 the Rolex Oyster was released. It was the first wristwatch to be considered waterproof, proven a year later when the watch was worn by the swimmer Mercedes Gleitze in his successful bid to cross the English Channel.

1931 saw the creation of the Perpetual Rotor, a mechanism now seen as the basis for self-winding movements. In the following years Rolex released the first Oyster Perpetual Lady-date (1954) the GMT Master with dual time zone function (1955) and the first Day-Date (1956).

Since its establishment in 1923, Hugo Boss has maintained a successful distribution of clothing, fragrances and accessories, and will project that same expertise in the US launch of its watch line.

What do you get with your BOSS? Along with its established brand name, you get nothing but the best quality. Hugo Boss recognizes the importance of quality workmanship. All the watches are developed in close cooperation with Hugo Boss and renowned Swiss watch designers. Only the best materials are used; the components are carefully selected and strictly tested. All watches are equipped with automatic or quartz Swiss movements, guaranteeing high precision and reliability. To ensure perfection, special attention is given to every minute detail.

The Hugo Boss collection of fine wristwatches includes four elegant lines, Initial, Ranger, Pilot and Metropolis. Available in white, silver, black and black rectangular dials, the Initial series is classical in its inspiration, timeless in its appeal. Initial represents an achievement in the balance of masculine proportion and finely-tuned aesthetics.