The Advent Of Disc Watches As Amusing Fashion Statements

The human desire to know more than when the sun rose and the sun set was the impetus for the emergence of timepieces such as the sundial. As people were able to move farther afield, the need for a portable timepiece became evident. As with so many inventions, a need was recognized and a resolution was realized. In other cases, a technology is developed and a product is created to utilize same. Such is the case with the development of the disc watches that have become a fashion accessory phenomenon.

The wristlet was originally developed only a little more than a century ago. Due to its size, its accuracy was comprised and therefore it was relegated solely to the domain of women. The prevailing thought was that women were not in need of carrying around a timepiece as did men who were engaged in business. In those days, no self-respecting man would carry anything other than a pocket watch regardless of his station in life.

Men of the era were attached to their pocket watches and not about to give them up for what they considered a feminine trifle. As often happens in history, attitudes change with a momentous event. This is certainly true of the development of the wristwatch and the onset of the First World War that catapulted the timepiece into mass production.

Men in combat needed to have their hands free and found their pocket timepieces to be unsuitable for military purposes. As a result they gerrymandered a form of wristwatch by tying their pocket watches to their wrists. This therefore proved the old adage that necessity is indeed the Mother of invention to be true.

Discs are not new to timepiece construction. All of the original styles had non-moving porcelain discs within their design structure. These were switched out for metal when the military styles were being produced. Beyond their unique designs, the attraction of disc watches is their ability to rotate creating even more pronounced fashion statements.

A desire to meet the needs of the marketplace spurs manufacturers to come up with styles and designs for every conceivable occasion frequented by their target market. For the dance floor clubbing set there is a glow-in-the-dark neon model. For those who want to change their wristwatches as often as they change their shoes, there is an interchangeable disc model. There are even hand-less models that use the disks to advance the numbers on the face. Some designs even present a complex rotation of several discs moving in unison or separately.

In order to expand the marketplace for disc watches manufacturers began designing for specific occasions. The neon model with backlighting was designed to glow in the dark which made it a perfect accessory for the night club set. For those seeking more of a space age look, models with rotating hour, minute and date numbers peer out of cutouts in the face. There seems to be no limit to what and how the disc watch can be used to produce interesting accessories.

There are manufacturers that promote the designs of their disc watches as modern works of art that are destined to become conversation pieces. This is what fashion accessorizing is all about creating a statement that will prompt notice. There are also models that come with several discs that are interchangeable allowing for an accessory for every mood, style, color and occasion.