Today, the appeal of wristwatches is a hobby in its own right. Enthusiasm about horology (the study of timekeeping) is an avenue into subjects ranging from science, technology, engineering, popular culture, travel and adventure. At Tool Watch Project, we are specifically interested in the idea of a ‘tool watch’ - the mechanical wristwatch bred out of the necessity to measure time while navigating, flying, driving, diving, even landing on the moon.

The tool watch came about primarily as a result of the second world war, when watches were commissioned by wartime governments to be sturdy, waterproof, inoxidable, relatively inexpensive all while remaining highly accurate. The bare-bones aesthetic and unfailing nature of the tool watch is a known quantity in modern luxury watchmaking. However, in a time where brands are shifting their marketing strategies away from watches being something you use (we all have a smartphone to tell us the time), to something to be desired, it’s hard to understand what constitutes a ‘tool watch’ today. 

The purpose of this site is therefore to explore, in the broadest sense, the meaning of an everyday, hard-wearing watch, and how such watches have shaped mankind. We’ll explore the history and development of watches as tools, as well as getting hands-on with some exciting pieces. I intend articles to span the idea of watches as things to be used, rather than locked in a safe, at a time where the world of watches seems focused on investment, exclusivity, flashy designs and expensive complications.