Thread: Pocket Watches

This is an Elgin Watch (one of a very few) that I have. It was made in 1899 and it still runs very accurately.
I find Pocket Watches to be fascinating. They are literally pieces of History, because watches of this type haven't been made in years.
The watch that is pictured is an 18 size, which is a little larger than the watches most people are familiar with.
The watch I carry on a daily basis is a16 size Hamilton 992...it was manufactured in 1926. 16 size is what most people think of when thay think of Pocket Watches.

I like them too, but don't really collect them--have just accumulated a few over the years. The most valued being the one I got from my dad, of course--an Illinois from some time in, I assume, the early 20th century (the family story was that my dad's brother-in-law bought it from another soldier at the front during WWI). It's waiting for me to pick it up from the shop right now. Then there's a slightly dressier Longines from my father-in-law and a big ol' honkin' steel Elgin that weighs about 30 pounds ... both will need to be taken in for repair some day.

Trouble is, pants aren't made with watch pockets any more, and it's too hot to wear a vest ... so even my father's watch doesn't get much practical use, not until fall anyway.

That is a nice-looking specimen you've got there. Elgin (the town) is fairly close to Chicago--as far as I know they are not making watches there any more, unfortunately. But the ones they did make, seem as if they can go on and on practically forever with good care.

~Rich, keepin' on tickin'

Originally Posted by Brother Jeeter

They are literally pieces of History, because watches of this type haven't been made in years.

I "wear" it's modern twist and really like it. Got a the leather pouch adapted for my belt.

Have an IWC one that I use about 7 days a month or so. Its cirka 1917 if i recall correctly and somewhere along 6xx calibre I forget what exactly. Gold plated silver with pretty much all traces of gold worn off ( I never quite understood the whole gold plating thing myself). When I wear this one in lieu of the wrist watch I have a chain attached to one of my belt hinges and then the watch in a front pantpocket. For me, the cellphone removed any reason to own a quartz watch.


Next one in line will probably be a pilot remake by one of the five manufactures for the German Luftwaffe in the ww2 era.


Ps. If you wish to honour tradition a bit, you ought to make sure the watch is "smiling" for future photographs. Yours is frowning

I've been collecting pocketwatches for many years now. I probably have about 40 or so.

At one time the U.S was the premier watchmaker in the world and to this day no foreign manufacturer has produced finer watches than the American Railroad Grade Pocketwatch. After WWll the swiss flooded the U.S market with cheap watches and put our manufacturers out of business. There are no watches made in the U.S anymore. There are some very small companies who assemble foreign components here but nothing truly made here anymore.

Its very interesting that many younger folks do not wear a watch anymore and carry a cellphone in its place.Ironic that the cellphone has become the pocketwatch of the 21st century.

Here's the only pocket watch I own, I know nothing about it, other than it was my grandpa's.




It doesn't keep time right now, so I need to get it repaired. Still neat though.

I don't see any irony in it. Its just harder to persuade people into buying the basic plastic model quarts calibre now since a cell does the same and much more.

They just have to continue with their current path of making the watch a piece of jewellery, an accessory that helps convey a statement about yourself.

As for "no foreign manufacturer has produced finer watches than the American Railroad Grade Pocketwatch" I'm positive I can find a few people who thinks otherwise. It certainly depends on what you view as finest. Some would lean towards level of complication. Where I believe Patek P. holds the record with the one from their 150'th anniversary. And I'm not even a watch collector I just like mechanical watches.

But its true that a lot of watch makers in the western world were outdone, both in Europe and North America , by the efficient movements from the Swiss.

I'm a fan of ETA movements and I Love the valjoux 7750 and variants for bringing mechanical chronographs to "the people".

Edit: the Patek P one I was speaking of is the calibre 89

@ Joke1176: I really like look of the work in the watch. The case is probably a bit too intricate for my taste. I persuaded one of my friends to have his old granddads watch fixed and he was pleasantly surprised by what he found out. Only downside imo would be that non original pieces might take place in the watch, if the watchmaker can even come up with matching bits.

Ps: the fob on your chain, is it a locket for a picture?

Yup, it just doesn't have a pic in it. I guess my grandpa wasn't that sentimental.

I think it's a lot fancy for me as well, but it could be fun if I have to wear a tux or something. Kind of an old school bling vibe from that watch.

Originally Posted by Chady

I don't see any irony in it. Its just harder to persuade people into buying the basic plastic model quarts calibre now since a cell does the same and much more.

They just have to continue with their current path of making the watch a piece of jewellery, an accessory that helps convey a statement about yourself.

As for "no foreign manufacturer has produced finer watches than the American Railroad Grade Pocketwatch" I'm positive I can find a few people who thinks otherwise. It certainly depends on what you view as finest. Some would lean towards level of complication. Where I believe Patek P. holds the record with the one from their 150'th anniversary. And I'm not even a watch collector I just like mechanical watches.

But its true that a lot of watch makers in the western world were outdone, both in Europe and North America , by the efficient movements from the Swiss.

I'm a fan of ETA movements and I Love the valjoux 7750 and variants for bringing mechanical chronographs to "the people".

Edit: the Patek P one I was speaking of is the calibre 89

@ Joke1176: I really like look of the work in the watch. The case is probably a bit too intricate for my taste. I persuaded one of my friends to have his old granddads watch fixed and he was pleasantly surprised by what he found out. Only downside imo would be that non original pieces might take place in the watch, if the watchmaker can even come up with matching bits.

Ps: the fob on your chain, is it a locket for a picture?

I don't doubt that. There are alot of folks who truly believe Rolex is the finest watch in the world. Complications in watches are not a be all and end all. if that was the case the Torbellon is the grand daddy of complications and it was produced in the early 1800s. If you look at the basic watch functions and timekeeping for their day and age I will still maintain American Pocketwatches are the best. You can buy American Pocketwatches made in the very early 1900s that will still out perform a COSC certified watch made today. Modern watches are made inferior materials no matter the brands. Softer alloys to save on machine costs. Most modern watches are made to last maybe 40 years or so.

I'm still curious as to which watch you think so highly of, that its the finest ever to be made.
Anyhoo if you truly believe that PP skimps on materials in a watch that takes 5 years of research to make and 4 years to manufacture, I don't think we can get any further.

I don't know why you mention Rolex in this regard as most who think its be finest watch in the world are people who don't really bother to learn much about watches.
But I guess you could say they are the best at high end mass marketing.
ETA being efficient at manufacturing stable movements.
PP carrying the current flagship of extraordinary complication with their 89.