Armed forces watches, as their name implies, were created to be used in the armed forces. The first armed forces watches were naval pieces, chronometers that worked OK for their purposes, but as other branches of the army – aviation especially – made major technical advances round the time of the second World War, accurate measurement of the seconds became crucial.
As with many fashion trends in times gone by, the wrist watch was originally made fashionable by royalty — particularly Queen Elizabeth I who was given one in the second 1500s. The 1st widely worn watches were designed solely for girls and called wristlets.
A Reuters story that appeared late last year said that Singaporeans are now trading their Rolex watches, including the popular Datejust watches, and are now settling for less pricey brands. This is because recession has hit the Asian city-state quite badly and people are trying to cash in on the value of their Rolex watches.