How WWI Changed Wristwatches Forever (The Backstory) 

The watch straps are officially LIVE! I have linked to my website in the description. Go give it a look and pick one up. We ship internationally, but limited stock is available, so move fast! Any support with these would be huge as I am trying to transition to doing RU-vid full-time. Thanks for all your support everyone and enjoy the video!

Great history lesson! Could you do a WW2 military watch video? or pilot watches?

You have to remember that with prices of around £2 - £3 for a watch, this was way beyond the price that squaddies could afford. Thus it was up to the junior officers and above who had deeper pockets to take responsibility for timing of attacks etc.. This is where the film '1917' slips up ; the two lance corporals on the mission were both wearing wristwatches.

I actually have a pretty credible source telling me that MVMT are better than Rolex All jokes aside loved the video, Teddy, love your channel

WW1 is so interesting, yet so disturbing at the same time...

Teddy Bulbasaur

Liking the more history focused angle. I like to learn as much as I like to get suggestions.

I know a lot of kids don’t wear watches anymore because they use their phones for that, but I’m an old fart and I feel naked without one. Have two now. A cheap old Russian winder I got for my birthday years ago, and a Citizen eco-drive, because I HATE having a battery die on my watch leaving me without one.

Good video. With WW1, wrist watches stopped being wristlets. Post-war, men were wearing the 'new' style watches. As well, the history of pilots watches is integral to military watch history. Even though the very first pilots watches pre-date 1914, WW1 accelerated the need for pilots watches. The pilot had to monitor both time and fuel consumption.

Awesome as always Teddy! Congrats from Brazil.

You sir are my favorite watch channel!

I literally own the watch seen at 0:47 from analogshift! It's awesome.

This is such a great origin story of field watches👍👍👍

"I can only imagine what they would say about men in 2018." Dang this had me dying 🤣

Watch enthusiasts on the battlefield...

Nice video. It reminds me of the movie Gallipoli starring a young Mel Gibson. It's a movie where the climax of the movie is dependent on the wristwatch.

Great vid. It would be nice if you do some sort of a wrist watch check. Im always curious what you wear for videos.

How could you miss not mentioning Breitling and how they developed the first single push piece wrist watch for pilots and Cartier and their tank probably the first pilot watch.

i scored an Omega trench watch from 1916, in working order for like $120, maybe less even. And I think of people buying watches with batteries made in slave factories for 10x the price and it just does not appeal to me. I love the history inherit with an old watch. made by skilled craftsmen long dead, and yet their product goes on. its good to have a variety of goods, but having a 'real' watch with a mechanical movement is just....different in a good way. Also got a Prussian 1916 Belt Buckle too. works great! now i'd like to get helmets from each of the combatants. first the field kepis and Pickelhaube they marched off to war with in 1914, and then the metal helmets introduced post 1916. what a crazy time to be alive! and i like having little trinkets from that time. makes it feel more real verses reading books/documentaries.

Dang you look like a baybeeee just 4yrs ago! I’ve enjoyed watching y’all’s progress (+Courtney ~ I’m hoping y’all are still a thing.) More seriously tho ~ I wish you could hit mainstream and Court could get her studio to Whatever (Brixan/Brian) level. She could manage those convos.

I have world war 1 watch.. 1st omega PATRIA, 1912 the watch have engraved at the case back, under the name of william burkhart officer of schnitzelbank club, and one of original member of american legion,

Always enjoy your historical content and the images you blend in !! Super..!!👍👍

Excellent video, my Uncle was on a WWI battleship, he used his watch to syncronize with the other gunners, this avoided lapses in firing.

Bit late to the party... :S Good video, but a couple of things: The Girard Perregaux story is highly dubious, if not outright bogus. There is zero evidence for it anywhere. No records from the German navy who were supposed to have ordered them nor from GP themselves and not a single example or reference to one has ever turned up. The example GP show on their website simply couldn't be from the period as it has a radium dial and radium paint didn't get onto watch dials until after 1912/13(the Curies hadn't even isolated it as a metal until 1910). The story seems to have originated on the internet in the late 90's and has been endlessly repeated. The earliest Omega wristlets were from circa 1904/6. The earliest sure reference to specifically made wristlets(as opposed to pocketwatches in special straps) is from the Boer War and no specific maker was referenced. Interestingly with the early watches they rarely had the maker's name on the dial, particularly in Europe. Instead the dials were left blank for the retailers brand name. Hans Wilsdorf was the first to buck that trend and fought to have his company name on the dial by the early 20's. Many innovations are commonly believed to have come from Rolex, but few actually did, but that was one and one of the more important. He also concentrated almost exclusively on the new wristlets, whereas every one else kept making pocketwatches. By the by, be very careful of "Rolex" trench watches for sale. The vast majority are not Rolex, or are one of their lesser brands(of which there were a few) and the Rolex on the dials are recently printed... Plus outside of rare examples(extra prima) other marques like Longines, Zenith, Omega and US makers were of better quality anyway. Oh and the wristlets seen as feminine(and they were still called wristlets well into the 1920s) was a trend that lingered on. You can see adverts of the time heavily pushing the macho aspect of wearing one to counter this belief, featuring well known sportsmen and the like. There was also a distinction between military men and civilian men wearing one.

Nice video, I am wearing my 1917 silver Tavannes Submarine Commander wrist watch, she gains 3 minutes over 24 hours so is a pretty good time keeper, google the history of this watch as it is quite fascinating

I so early as 1913 Louis Cartier made The Cartier Santos for Santos Du ont The aviation pioner because he needed a watch easy see as he timed his flghts, The firdt pilot watch..

Thanks Teddy! I really enjoy these horological history lessons. You’ve answered some questions that I’ve been thinking of for a while.👍

I don’t know if you still watch this but I have a Waltham pocket watch conversion that I just purchased at a charity auction I’m waiting for it to arrive. What do you know about how valuable these old Time pieces are

Love this man, subbed for more 👍🏻

I thought that Alberto Santos-Dumont had something to do with it - he commissioned Louis Cartier to make him a wristwatch for use in his early flights, and due to his celebrity, wristwatches for men became fashionable.

Great topic for a video. It's nice to take a look back on an era where watches were less about style and more of a depended on tool.

Interesting explanations about how WW1 impacted the watch world!

I think WW1 Changed watches also.Men carried pocket watches prior to ww1 and because pilots caused a switch to wristwstches

In a video can you discuss elgin watches? I see tgem all over the place but I've yet to see anyone discuss them and what happened with them

nice video! good content as always

would have liked more detail of watches used in the front, but still a good video , thanks for making it

Really interesting video. During WW1 there were other innovations which would required the need of wrist watches like the sniper shield, armour, close combat using milee weapon and trees observation post. Crazy insane times back then!

watch that is made to be carried in a pocket, as opposed to a wristwatch, which is strapped to th

Damn, Teddy! You're good at this!

The greatest artillery barrage I believe was laid down by the Russians on the outskirts of Berlin in 1945? The figures are beyond belief frankly and they crept with range also.Ok ,nothing to do with timepieces as such but was organised by strict timing.No I am not ex service but some things like heavy artillery fascinate me because of the maths required to plant a round.Without a timepiece very difficult? Cheers,Len.

Do a sequel for ww2!!!

Great video, Teddy! You really need to have your own show on the History channel. You could become the Anthony Bourdain of watches. Damn...I’m good. Nuff’ said.

Loved this video. I will certainly check out the straps as I've been excited for those! Also good luck to everyone in the giveaway this is one I'd love to win as the Mako II is on my grail list :)

Super informative video Teddy! It’s funny to think that wrist watches or at one point seen as feminine, yet today they are a hallmark of men around the world.

Hmm. That reminds me - you may want to have a look at the Timex Welton watch. It apparently takes design cues from the Ingersoll watch of the First World War.

Hey teddy, there aren't many videos that cover watches on the 1970s. It would be interesting if you could make a video of "the top watches that came out of the 70s"

IM TEDDY BULBASOUR, THE TIME TELLER

Hey teddy i saw some of your earlier fashion videos and really liked them. I know they don't get as much views but i'd love hear you talk for example about winter jackets now that winter is coming since i think you have a great taste in fashion.

i just got my first ever automatic 15 days ago =) picked the Orient Mako 3 that is already available here in asia!

Most proper well worth nugget of historical knowledge. Keep em coming. Utter quality.

Wow another great video Teddy! Every watch enthusiast should subscribe! 👍

Another great video Teddy, some truly beautiful pieces here, I love trench watches, and these military themed horological topics. Keep it up!

Nice work! History, in general, is way more important than many understand. Thanks for digging this up.

Do your straps feature quick release function and why on watches in your website there is no lug to lug measurement info?

Really interesting video those Harrods ads are great remember back then they sold medical kits for men heading to the front, that included cocaine, heroin and other opioid painkillers!

Dude, this awesome!!. I’m a huge history guy and collector of vintages.

Very well-made video. I really enjoy those general knowledge videos. Keep it up, please! ;-)

I really enjoyed watching this vídeo. Great job Teddy! Un grande abbraccio!

Short, sweet, and interesting...

The historic watches are really interesting. I had a dream of being bought an expensive wrist watch that is what brought me to this video.

Interesting video, Teddy. Can’t beat a bite-size horological history lesson 🤓

Great history lesson as usual. It's interesting to know the pivotal point for wristwatches, and it was the army that embrace it.

plz review maxima watches

Very interesting! 😃

I have a question. What is the watch I can see in the poster hanging on the wall? Just curious! 😉

Greetings from Serbia.

Very interesting...thanks!

great review,wish it were longer if you went into the watches of the 1920s to the 1960s.

Thanks for the history.

Great historical info on WW1, loved this type of content. Gives me all the more reverence for the generation who fought in that war.

So much to add in so little time

Alpha M in WWI: "Five reasons why a sun dial is better than some piece of shit Patek Phillipe! Also, this week's sponsor is Sundial Inc."

Nice history lesson....

Always informative. Thank you

3:36 That foot is coming off

Ah man, right as it was getting good, it was done, haha. Love the video, Teddy!

Great history lesson

Great video and review.

Here after seeing 1917

In days when men were men

First male wristwatch was made by Cartier for Brazilian aviator Santos Dumont in 1906, the Cartier Santos. WW1 only popularised it more for men.

Great post Teddy!

Historically very accurate. Good job!

Love your historical based video,s top class!

Great video Teddy

Very cool and informative video thanks

Your video is informative, thank you.

Love a video explaining history. Well done!

I almost bought orient envoy .. but at the last moment I bought Seiko 5 snk361 . So this is my first automatic watch.. did I made a mistake or it was a wise decision?

thank you !

Great historical content, Teddy. Well done.

Nice succinct history of the time...thanks!

Great video!

Very good content and information, keep the good work!

Great video

Great content my good sir! Well researched and narrated.

Nice job!

Thanks for the vid! You ever think about doing a video about how people told the time before watches?

What's the watch in the thumbnail anyone?

Dig these documentary vids!