•  
  •  
 

Abstract

This article is meant to give you a basic understanding of mechanical timepieces—not just what they are, but how they are different from one another and why that difference is significant. Watches themselves do not need an introduction; they are ubiquitous and have withstood the peaks and troughs of social inequality and have persisted as a commonality between the rich, the poor and the middleclass since the beginning of their mass production in the 19th century. I focus here on the history of watches within the United States because, ultimately, this is a discussion of their legal protection under United States intellectual property law and not a full history lesson on horology. If you would like to establish a foundation of knowledge for the intellectual property which this article discusses, I suggest first reading of the achievements of individuals such as Christiaan Huygens, Peter Henlein, Patek Philippe and Louis Cartier. This article will focus on two areas of intellectual property, patents and trademarks, and their application to mechanical timepieces.

Download
COinS