hodinky

Hodinky is the Czech term for watches, timekeeping devices worn on the wrist. The phrase can refer to analog or digital timepieces and includes traditional mechanical watches, quartz watches, and, in contemporary usage, smartwatches (often described in Czech as chytré hodinky).

As a concept, wristwatches emerged in the late 19th and early 20th centuries and gained wide adoption during the First and Second World Wars for military use. The industry soon developed a broad range of styles and movements, from simple three-hand watches to complex chronographs and calendar watches. The quartz revolution of the 1970s brought inexpensive, highly accurate timekeeping and transformed watchmaking.

Movements and features: The main types of movements are mechanical (manual-wind and automatic), quartz, and electronic. Mechanical watches rely on a wound mainspring and gear train; automatic watches wind themselves through the wearer's motion. Quartz watches use a battery and a quartz oscillator for accuracy. Smartwatches run on digital platforms and provide computing features in addition to timekeeping.

Typical components: case, dial, hands, crystal, crown, and strap or bracelet. Many hodinky feature water resistance, and some offer complications such as date, day, chronograph, moon phase, or power reserve. Materials range from stainless steel and titanium to gold and platinum; finishes include enamel, guilloché, and satin-brush.

Economically and culturally, hodinky span luxury and practicality. Collectors prize vintage and limited-edition pieces; in daily life, they are common personal accessories and status symbols as well as precision instruments.