The range of mechanical timepieces extends from massive turret clocks to tiny wristwatches. Quartz watches were introduced in the 1930s and led to further improvements in accuracy. At last it was possible to measure precisely irregularities in the earth's rotation. Only a few watches restrict themselves to their original purpose of providing the wearer with the time of day. Perhaps they remind us of the transitoriness of human existence.
Watches also have the welcome, incidental effect of indicating the owner's position in society.
A watch was almost always a status symbol, an expensive adornment blending beauty and function.