Here is an interesting list:
credit goes to M.Foo from the Purists for compiling this:
According to Childers & Naas (Master Wristwatches, BW Publishing Associates 1999):
1571: Queen Elizabeth I received a small pendant watch FASTENED to a bracelet, which does not qualify.
1600s - 1700s: Small numbers of people in nursing and military wore their pocket/pendant watches strapped to their wrist or arm. They do not qualify.
1790s: Small numbers of 'wrist watches' were made by Jacquet-Droz and Paul Leschot of Geneve which may be the first piece unique wristwatches.
1800s: Boucheron, Chaumet, Cartier and others created unique wrist jewelry timepieces for royalty. These may not qualify as they were jewelry.
1810: Breguet repeater wristwatch for Queen of Naples.
1838: Breguet delivered small watches with 'armbands'.
1868: Patek Philippe produced a bracelet with "built-in" watch.
1880: Girard-Perregaux produced a line of wristwatches specifically commissioned by the German Navy with protective grid covers. These were made of gold being the cheapest metal which was salt-water resistant!
1893: Audemars Piguet develped ladies' wristwatches and some mens' units with extensive discussion about the location of the setting and winding crown. It was not known which wrist people would wear their timepieces. It was finally decided that as most people were right-handed, the preference would be the left wrist. This would allow winding with the dominant hand.
1905: The 1st SERIES production wristwatches by Audemars Piguet had crown on the right side.
1904: Brazilian aviation pioneer Alberto Santos-Dumont expressed to Cartier his desire for a watch on the wrist to avoid the inconvenience while flying of grappling with a pocket watch. The Santos was created.
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