THE NIFTY FIFTIES

Lots of today's most desirable watches were born in the post war boom. Here's why

- Richard Holt

The Fifties was a bumper decade for the car industry. Tail fins proliferated in the US as aircon, power steering and electric windows went into production cars for the first time, while in Europe the Mercedes 300SL and Aston's DB4 GT both beat the magic 150mph barrier. The leap forward in the watch industry was just as big. There were some technological breakthroughs, like early electronic watches that laid the ground for the quartz revolution of the Seventies. And a load of earlier inventions were made mainstream, as anti-shock and anti-magnetic movements, along with chronographs and self-winding movements, became increasingly popular. But the main development was a flourish of post-war style. Increasing demand for luxury watches gave companies freedom to invest and expand their offering, and the Fifties saw the introduction of models that caught the public imagination so much that they are still made today.