Vacheron's Rarest Historiques Is Also Its Most Coveted At the beginning of the 20th century,  the automobile was still a novelty, and a cottage industry of manufacturers cropped up to create apparel and accessories for the modern motorist. From often-unwieldy driving suits, meant to shield the occupants of open-topped cars from the dust and wind of still-unpaved roads to leather driving gloves that allowed drivers to keep their grip on large wooden steering wheels (without power steering!), drivers found themselves buying an entire ensemble, not just a car. And of course, watches made their way into the list of must-haves for drivers.