You probably noticed that there are little pockets in your jeans that are too small to be practical. But, in the past, these were used to store a watch.
The design for the pockets in the original Levi’s blue jeans came from the company’s “waist overalls,” which was the name given to the product when it was first made.
The patent for the enhancement of opening pockets was granted to J.W. Davis and Strauss on May 20, 1873.
They were first introduced to mass production in 1890 with the “Lot 501.”
According to Tracey Panek, a historian for the company, the watch pocket was originally featured in the first batch of waist overalls.
She noted that the oldest pair of these is still in the company’s archives.
The small pocket was designed to hold pocket watches, and it’s usually not found in pants.
Since suits already have a watch pocket, it’s no longer necessary to have one in the pants.
For instance, according to Panek, Levi Strauss had one in his business suit vest. Pants with a tiny pocket are referred to as “five-pocket pants.”
In 1901, the fifth pocket was added to the back of the Levi’s 501 jeans.
According to Panek, during the 19th century, the company made overalls with one small back pocket.
It was made with a unique arch design that was designed to hold a watch. Today, most people don’t carry a pocket watch.
According to Panek, the small pockets in the back of the jeans are made to maintain the product’s original design.
Since people nowadays check their watches using their phones, the company decided to keep the design unchanged.