The wonderful world of watches and clocks is often a fascinating one, and aside from beautiful timepieces with loads of cool features, there are lots of things that you probably didn’t know about the history and inner-workings of timepieces. So, without further ado, here are 4 watch facts that you probably didn’t know:

4 Watch Facts You (Probably) Didn’t Know

1. When displayed in shops, watches are usually pre-set to a specific time, that time? Ten minutes past ten, or ten minutes to two, a time that is known as ‘happy time’ as it makes the hands on the watch look like a smiley face. This, in turn, encourages the customer to be in a good mood, which raises the chance of them making a purchase.

2. The first watch to be sent into space was a Russian ‘Pobeda’ watch from the Petrodvorets Watch Factory. The watch was placed on a dog called Chernuchka’s wrist without authorisation and was sent on a single orbit on the space ship Korabl-Sputnik 4 on the 9^th March 1961.

3. It is thought that humans measured time via the current sexagesimal system (the numerical system we use which uses the number sixty as a base) as far back as 2000 BC. The Egyptians would divide the day into two cycles of twelve hours each, and use sundials to measure daytime and water clocks for the night time.

4. The uni-directional bezel that is found on dive watches is included as a safety feature to prevent any accidental knocks or bumps from altering the elapsed dive time. The bezel will only turn anti-clockwise which means that any bumps underwater won’t alter the dive time and confuse the diver into thinking they have more oxygen than they really have.

Casio Men's Watch in Resin/Acrylic Glass with Neo Display & Buckle - Water Resistant to 50 m

 (1501)

£15.98

Water resistant up to 50 mThree hand analogueEnlarged orange arabic numeralsResin case

(as of April 9, 2020 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)

Infantry 22mm 20mm NATO Watch Strap Nylon Fabric Military G10 4 Rings Divers Heavy Duty Strong Watch Band

 (16)

£7.99

Fit for watches with 20mm lug width onlyCOMFORTABLE: The Surface of the Watch Band is Smooth, feels Soft and never scratch your skin. Lightweight, Breathable, Sweat Absorption Ability, perfect craftsmanship. Easy to dry after getting wet, and stink-f... read more

(as of April 9, 2020 - More infoProduct prices and availability are accurate as of the date/time indicated and are subject to change. Any price and availability information displayed on [relevant Amazon Site(s), as applicable] at the time of purchase will apply to the purchase of this product.)