Free Republic

To pay tribute to its 175th anniversary, Patek Philippe created a collection of limited-edition commemorative timepieces, and one of them stands out in particular. It is the so far most complicated wristwatch of the eminent family-owned watchmaking company and decidedly one of the world's most elaborate wristwatches. This is due not only to the number of complications involved but also to the horological degrees of complexity, two of which have been added to the annals of watchmaking for the first time. Moreover, the Grandmaster Chime is the first double-face wristwatch presented by Patek Philippe that can be worn with either...

My son is about to enter the military. He will be at the tip of the spear. I would like to get him a really good watch. As I've never done anything more dangerous than clean gutters, I've no idea what sort of watch and what sort of band will stand up to what it will need to stand up to. I'd be most grateful to anyone who can provide some advice on this. Thanks so much.

<p>The first recorded usage of a timepiece worn on the wrist dates back to 333 BC. Although it wasn't the mechanical-digital type of device that would be recognised as a watch today, it was nonetheless an effective time keeper.</p> <p>During the battle of Issus, Alexander the Great came head-to-head with Persian King Darius III. Outnumbered by a ration of two to one, Alexander decided to try out a new invention. He had all his men tie to their wrist a strip of cloth impregnated with chemicals that would change color after a certain length of time. This is similar to how today's SAS synchronize their watches before going into action. When cloth changed color his men would know that it was time to attack.</p>

A Japanese company has invented the world's first wristwatch phone which works by transforming the user's finger into an earpiece, it was reported. The prototype gadget, Finger Whisper, consists of a wristband that converts digital signals into vibrations that are transmitted into the bones of the hand New Scientist says in next Saturday's issue. The user puts his finger into his ear for the vibrations to be picked up by the eardrum, which then transcribes them back into sound signals for the brain. To talk, he or she simply speaks into a microphone on the wristband. By touching forefinger to...