Pendant Watches The pendant watch was initially a result of the technical prowess of horologists, who as early as the 14th century began the process of miniaturization that made clocks small enough to be worn on the person. Watches quickly grew in popularity among the privileged few who could afford to buy them. Extremely rare and costly, they were prized possessions that unequivocally proclaimed their owner?s wealth and social status. An indispensable accessory for elegant men and women, during the 18th century the watch was often worn suspended at the waist. As an important fashion accessory, much attention was given to its decoration. Beautifully chased and engraved, embellished with painted enamels, set with precious or semi-precious stones, the pendant watch lent itself to the creative imaginations and superb skills of the finest of artisans. By the 19th century, horologists in various important watchmaking centers, including Geneva, were offering a remarkably wide variety of imaginatively decorated and finely enameled watches whose cases were embellished with engine-turning, pearls and precious stones, and occasionally automata and music. The tendency toward highly decorative watches was accentuated by the etiquette of the period, which deemed it unbecoming for a lady to consult her watch in public. Consequently, dials and numerals often became very small ? if they were not concealed altogether. The timekeeping aspect became secondary, and the ornamental qualities of the watch played a pre-eminent role. This tendency was further heightened by the rise of the Art Nouveau style in the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Under the influence of this artistic current the pendant watch became an elaborate piece of jewelry in its own right, decorated with opalescent or transparent enamels, diamonds and elaborate goldsmith?s work.