Most of the big names in watches are considered elderly by business standards. They are all at least 90 to 150 years old. With that kind of experience behind them, it is understandable why a new watch company may feel intimidated and give up before they even have the chance to get started.

All of that changed in 1989 when two American businessmen made the brave choice to use Swiss watch making technology and a unique illumination system to create a new watch unlike anything the world had seen before. The theory behind this innovative watch design was intended to appeal to the sports enthusiasts. After all, they were constructed to be able to withstand some heavy abuse and provide a watch face that is able to light up. To get the point across about the special and unique ability of this new style of watches, the two businessmen aptly named their new company Luminox.

Since the illumination feature of Luminox watches is what really sets them apart, it may be useful to have a clear picture of how this technology works. Unlike other watches that can light up, the Luminox watches are powered by tiny gas lights called borosilicate glass capsules. These capsules provide constant illumination without the need for solar power or batteries. Among other benefits of this system, the capsules also provide continuous illumination for up to 25 years and are brighter than previously manufactured lit watches. With a Luminox watch there is no need to push a button or do anything special to use the light up factor; it does it automatically regardless of the external conditions. Conventional illumination where some form of luminous paint is used requires charging from a light source for a period of time.

In the beginning, the Luminox Watch Company was having a bit of a struggle to get the notice necessary to really grow as a company. Sure, the extreme sports enthusiasts were catching on, but they still weren't able to reach the consumer market Luminox needed. All of that changed in 1993 with one call from a procurement officer with the U.S. Navy SEALS. By early in 1994, the Luminox company was able to offer the original SEAL Dive Series I. Once again the amazing ability of Swiss engineering, coupled with their unique illumination system set the Luminox Company up for some serious success.

This was the turning point the Luminox Company needed. Due the involvement of the SEALS in the popularity of Luminox watches, the owners began to see a dramatic increase in the number of sales. For the next 5 years, Luminox focused on the sales of their plastic watches. Around 1999, the company made the decision to branch out their watch styles and began to use steel and titanium in addition to the fiberglass models already on the market. Over the last few years Luminox have introduced many new models. And as I write this article, Luminox is introducing the next generation of illumination watch, the Luminox EVO Navy SEAL Colormark series. What is unique with this series is that the markers actually glow in the same color as the numerals on the dial.

The Luminox Watch Company is amazing example of what hard work, dedication, and having a product the U.S. military needs can do. They continue to work with both the Navy and Air Force to provide specialized watches for the special units and pilots. They are also hard at work providing the everyday person with well made, self illuminating watches at affordable prices.

Source: www.free-articles-zone.com

The earliest mention of the watch was in Shakespeare’s play "As You Like It." In the second act of the play one character produces a sun-dial from his pocket and muses about the time. Though at this time in history a true, portable timekeeping piece would have been too much of a hassle. Coming up with a powers source for the watch was impossible at this time. But in the 1500’s Peter Henlein from Germany created the first pocket watch. And from that point on portable timekeeping was part of the norm.

In the early 1600s, form watches came into being. Cases shaped like animals and objects and religious themed watches were the most popular. But cheap, portable clocks…watches…didn’t really come into wide spread use until 1780 when Abraham Louis Perrelet invented the self winding movement.

Watch making enters its prime period in the years that followed. In 1791, J.F. Bautte founded the watch company that would eventually become Girard-Perregaux. In 1820, Thomas Prest registers a patent for the self-winding watch. In 1833 Antoine LeCoultre started his own watch making business that would eventually become Jaeger-LeCoultre.

Other big names and when they were founded:


Minerva founded in 1858
Heuer founded in 1860
Zenith founded in 1865
Movado founded in 1881
Rolex founded in 1905
Citizen founded in 1918
Seiko founded in 1924

But probably the most innovative and best-selling watch of all time is the Timex. Timex created the Waterbury pocket watch in the 1880s and made affordable timekeeping a mainstay for the average man.

By the turn of the twentieth century, the watch industry's first and most successful mass marketer, Robert H. Ingersoll, worked with Waterbury Clock, a partner of Timex, to distribute the company's "Yankee" pocket watch, the first to cost just one dollar. Twenty years later, with nearly forty million sold, the "Yankee" became the world's largest seller and "the watch that made the dollar famous." Everyone carried the Yankee: from Mark Twain to miners, from farmers to factory workers, from office clerks to sales clerks. Throughout the rest of the 20th Century, Timex conquered the low-end market selling 500 million watches by the end of the 1970s.

And the watch market has continued to grow and expand in the following years. With the introduction of the digital watch in 1972, watchmakers had brand new roads to explore in the area or portable timekeeping. It is now not so uncommon to find watches that can do everything under the sun from reading the wearer’s heart rate to playing music. But telling time is still the number-one priority.

So whether you’re more interested in the fashion statement your watch makes (Rolex, Heuer, Seiko) or the practicality of your watch (Timex, Casio, Citizen), there will always be numerous choices out there.

Hey, anyone know what time it is? I think I’m late.


Author Allen ShawAllen Shaw

Everything has its beginning. And if you believe that time starts from somewhere, also consider the beginning of time measurements.

Early people have devised a system to tell the exact date. But a device that exactly tells the precise time comes much later. Water clocks, sundials, and candle clocks are the earliest instruments that somehow manage to tell time but accuracy is far from achievable.

In the 13th century, weight-driven clocks were developed. It used gears while hour hand was already used while the minute hand was an indication of luxury and wealth. The weight-driven clocks were publicly displayed on church towers, city halls, and monasteries.

In the 16th century, clocks were produced using spring instead of weight. The portable clocks or the pocket watches were the first timepieces that the public can own. During this time, the only persons who can own them were the rich and owning one signified the status, authority, and wealth of the person. Often, portable watches were placed on the wall of the house. The term “portable” though did not mean it could be carried on your pocket. The term changed its meaning some years later.

The first transportable watches or pocket watches was used also in the 16th century. This time, clocks no longer had to stay at one place. Pocket watches can already be worn around the neck or carried on a pocket. The same era also brought revolution to the development of pocket watches. Mechanisms were introduced to bring time-telling precision. Some packet watches even had an alarm.

The entry of the 17th century made pocket watched even more desirable. The box-like image was removed and was replaced by more rounded and slimmer cases. Clockmakers also became instant artists as they infuse designs and craftsmanship to every pocket watch the made.

When Christian Huygens discovered the law of pendulum, which for your information was different from Galileo’s, clock had yet again moved one step further. The law proved to be very helpful in the development of pocket watches.

In the 18th century, pocket watches continued to evolve. This time, jewels were used as bearings. Diamonds became part of some pocket watches that boosted the price of a single pocket watch to the ceiling. Oil was also became part of pocket watches during this period. This was to lubricate and smoothen the movement of the watch’s hands. In the second half of the 18th century, pocket watches were produced with three hands. Contrary to the inclusion of the minute hand during the 16th century, second hand made sense since accuracy in telling time was far better.

In the 19th century came the glory days of the packet watches. This era brought the several watchmakers into the picture. Names such as LeCoultre & Cie, Ulysse Nardin, Minerva, Heuer, IWC, and many others were established in this period. The quality of pocket watches became better than ever.

By the turn of the 20th century, certificates were issued to those watchmakers that created precise watches. Unlike the previous years, issuance of certificate became more of a requirement than luxury.

And as the years gone by, the popularity of pocket watches diminished as wristwatches became more popular.

Although pocket watches are not so much used today, it has served as one of the important instruments for several centuries.

Author Robert Thatcher www.about-pocket-watches.info