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Scan for outdated or missing drivers - takes under a minuteDriver Scan →Repair Windows errors before they cause bigger problemsFix Now →Which wristwatches changed watchmaking history? These seven offer different answers: one made a wristwatch useful to an aviator, another advanced automatic winding, and others helped define the dive watch, quartz era, luxury sports watch, affordable Swiss watch and high-priced independent watch. They are considered examples, not a definitive ranking: as Stuff writer Sam Kessler noted, no short list can capture every important part of watchmaking history.
Seven watches, seven kinds of influence
“Important” can mean practical utility, a mechanical or technical breakthrough, design influence, a new production approach or a shift in the luxury market. The watches below are not directly comparable on one performance scale; their significance lies in different contributions. Dates and interpretations for the Santos, Harwood, Royal Oak, Swatch GB100 and RM001 are reported by Kessler’s Stuff feature, published 23 September 2026. The Submariner and Astron also have supporting material from Rolex and Seiko.
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| Watch | Contribution highlighted | Evidence and qualification |
|---|---|---|
| Cartier Santos | Wristwatch utility in aviation and men’s wristwatch adoption | Historical anecdote and “first” framing attributed to Kessler’s 2026 feature. |
| Harwood Automatic | Early self-winding wristwatch development | Mechanism and production account attributed to Kessler’s 2026 feature. |
| Rolex Submariner | Dive-watch archetype | Rolex dates launch to 1953 and states launch water resistance was 100 metres (330 feet); cultural interpretation from Kessler’s feature. |
| Seiko Quartz Astron | Quartz technology’s impact on wristwatches | Seiko calls it the first quartz wristwatch; Seiko Museum Ginza reports monthly error within ±5 seconds. |
| Audemars Piguet Royal Oak | Luxury steel sports-watch design | 1972 debut and category-shaping interpretation attributed to Kessler’s 2026 feature. |
| Swatch GB100 | Lower-cost Swiss production and design | 1983 launch, 12-watch line and CHF 39.90 price as reported by Kessler’s 2026 feature, not independently verified here. |
| Richard Mille RM001 | High-priced independent watchmaking as a luxury proposition | 2001 date and €135,000 price as reported by Kessler’s 2026 feature, not independently verified here. |
1. Cartier Santos: a wristwatch built for practical access
Kessler’s feature recounts that aviator Alberto Santos-Dumont found a pocket watch awkward to consult in an aircraft and asked his friend Louis Cartier for a wrist-worn alternative. The story captures a practical advantage of wearing a watch on the wrist: it can be checked without reaching for a pocket. Kessler presents the Santos as an early, influential example of men adopting wristwatches.
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2. Harwood Automatic: an early route to self-winding
British watchmaker John Harwood is credited in Kessler’s account with building an early automatic wristwatch and working with Fortis to bring it into production. The Harwood mechanism used a “bumper” weight: movement of the wearer’s arm drove the weight back and forth between springs.
That differs from the full-rotation rotor used in many modern automatic watches. Harwood’s contribution belongs to the development of self-winding wristwatches; the familiar rotor-driven Rolex Perpetual movement came later. This historical account is attributed here to Kessler’s feature.
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3. Rolex Submariner: the dive-watch formula
Rolex dates the Submariner’s launch to 1953 and says the original watch was waterproof to 100 metres (330 feet). That is a launch specification reported in Rolex’s official history, not a claim about every later Submariner model.
Kessler describes the model as an archetypal underwater tool watch, with a rotating bezel, legible dial and water resistance. Its appearances in James Bond films helped extend its cultural reach, according to the feature. The technical launch details come from Rolex; the broader design and cultural assessment is the author’s interpretation.
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4. Seiko Quartz Astron: a technical shift in timekeeping
Seiko identifies the Quartz Astron as the world’s first quartz wristwatch. The Seiko Museum Ginza collection page says its monthly error was within ±5 seconds and reports that after Seiko disclosed the patent, watchmakers around the world began producing quartz wristwatches.
That makes the Astron a clear example of technical disruption: quartz timekeeping helped redirect the industry, rather than merely adding a new look or audience. Kessler’s feature notes that the original Astron was expensive and that Seiko later moved toward more accessible quartz models.
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5. Audemars Piguet Royal Oak: steel in luxury sports-watch design
Kessler dates the Royal Oak’s debut to 1972 and argues that it helped make a large steel sports watch at a luxury price into an enduring category. The design’s legacy can be seen in later integrated-bracelet models, though the feature also notes Gerald Genta’s subsequent work on watches such as the Patek Philippe Nautilus and IWC Ingenieur.
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6. Swatch GB100: a different approach to Swiss watch production
Kessler’s feature describes the black-and-white GB100 as the lead model in a 12-watch Swatch line launched in 1983. Its plastic case and reduced component count were intended to lower assembly and finishing costs. The article reports a price of CHF 39.90.
The feature presents the Swatch approach as part of the Swiss industry’s response to competitive and economic pressure in the quartz era. The price and that causal interpretation are reported by the feature rather than independently checked archival records.
7. Richard Mille RM001: an independent watch at a striking price
Kessler dates the RM001 to 2001 and reports its price as €135,000. The feature argues that the watch demonstrated a market proposition for highly expensive independent watchmaking: a timepiece could command attention through exclusivity and luxury positioning, not only established mass production.
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That is an interpretation of the watch’s significance, not an industry statistic. Kessler labels the story that an accidental extra zero appeared on its price tag apocryphal, so it should not be treated as fact.
How to read this list
- Practical use: The Santos illustrates the appeal of having time immediately accessible on the wrist.
- Mechanism: Harwood represents an early approach to automatic winding.
- Tool-watch design: The Submariner became a recognizable dive-watch reference point.
- Technology: The Astron marks quartz’s breakthrough in wristwatches.
- Design and market positioning: The Royal Oak, GB100 and RM001 represent different propositions in luxury design, affordable production and independent high-end watchmaking.
The list is best treated as a curated tour across those kinds of influence, not a consensus top seven or a guide to current desirability. The first-hand model claims and judgments vary in support: Rolex and Seiko provide official historical material for the Submariner and Astron, while several other accounts and all category assessments above are attributed to Kessler’s 2026 feature.
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