The History of Accessories

Ever since Ancient Times people enjoyed accessorizing. They used jewelry and various precious stones and rare metals to bedazzle their accessories. They enhanced their physical appearance as per their own perception of beauty. People have always felt the need for beauty enhancement, and this has been more affordable the higher an individual was ranked in the societal hierarchy. Throughout history, accessories have always been used as gifts. Also as means of courtmanship or simply to show dominance by exposing financial superiority.

World leaders, politicians, warriors, businessmen, artists, they have all used accessories for various reasons through the years and all this exposure has created a crave for such accessories in the masses. Everyone looks up to an idol and what is easier to copy than the appearance? A certain lifestyle is difficult to achieve, a high quality social company might be even harder. Thus people are left with the act of accessorizing to try to replicate those whom they admire and to satisfy their subconscious need to better themselves.

Inventing the watch

In the 15^th century the portable clocks were invented, and they were driven by a spring mechanism. They soon became luxury accessories for the wealthy since they were an engineering novelty. Jewelers beautified this technological breakthrough from its cradle. Watches appeared in 16th century Europe when Peter Henlein, a German craftsman from Nuremberg Germany started designing small time pieces to accessories clothes or jewelry for the upper-class. They were known as the Pomander watches.

For more than 500 years the watchmaker’s industry has done nothing but grow and become more and more sophisticated. In the manufacturing process of these accessories, new technologies have been used throughout history for the driving mechanism, the outer parts of the watch and the jewelry decorations. In the 1960s for example, the electrically powered watch was invented and during the 1980s it took over the market. The technologies used for the manufacturing of the dial, the lug, the crystal, the strap or the buckle have been permanently improved as technology moved forward. This made watches become some of the most popular accessories in society. The cost of manufacturing such accessories depends on many factors. This made some of them cheap enough to be available for the masses but also making some expensive enough. Therefore, the watch is still the Crown Jewel of the accessories industry.