Thread: POCKET WATCHES

Another older thread on a topic near and dear to me. Perhaps it'll revive with exposure. Vintage and antique pocket watches are definitely worthwhile as a collecting field.




Here's ol' Sangamo. He's my favorite pocket watch around here. Aren't those just the sexiest hands you ever saw on a watch?!

I've collected vintage wrist watches for years, but always stridently avoided going down the rabbit hole that is a pocket watch collecting tangent.

I had a pawn shop owner friend and bank customer who loved pocket watches. We were both in Cleburne, Texas which was a railroad town and he liked railroad watches. He always had a batch out in his display case and best ones in the back office. This would have been in the 1980s. He talked to me about their finer points and tried to encourage me into gathering a few in.

Wished I had now, but ... could'a, should'a, would'a won't cut it. In more recent times I've gathered up mostly railroad pocket watches at gun shows, antique stores, and of course Ebay, but prices are more dear than they were at the pawn shop years ago.

I have that very same piece in my collection but with a white gold filled open face case and railroad approved. Mine is in mint condition with 17 size Sangamo Special Case. It's my pride and joy.

Here's a pocket watch from around 1904 - 1906 made by Elgin. Runs great and keeps good time. I don't carry it much. Only to funerals now.

Originally Posted by Johntoad57

Here's a pocket watch from around 1904 - 1906 made by Elgin. Runs great and keeps good time. I don't carry it much. Only to funerals now.

Make sure you wind that baby once a month to keep the lube going.

Sure would like to see the "innards" of that fancy dialed Elgin. I'm wondering if it has one of the Elgin "three fingered" movements.

Weren't the fancy dials like that created by multiple firings of the vitreous enamel with each color applied between each firing? Tedious and subject to process failure during the creation of the finished dial.

Okay here you go:

The inside of the watch movement



The back of the watch



The entire watch as it is worn

Thanks much!

Very pretty!

I love looking at the decorated pocket watch movements.

Originally Posted by noelekal

Sure would like to see the "innards" of that fancy dialed Elgin. I'm wondering if it has one of the Elgin "three fingered" movements.

Weren't the fancy dials like that created by multiple firings of the vitreous enamel with each color applied between each firing? Tedious and subject to process failure during the creation of the finished dial.

I can't say for sure, but those dials were hand painted so I don't see why they couldn't do one firing. From what I've seen multiple firings give the ceramic/enamel a certain look vis a vis elevation and texture. Maybe we have a pottery person here.

Originally Posted by Johntoad57

Okay here you go:

The inside of the watch movement



The back of the watch



The entire watch as it is worn

That looks like an older model. As I recall before 1910 or so they stopped using "Safety Pinon" on watches. You usually see watches like that from the 19th Century.

Is that a 7 jewel watch or 15?

This one is a 7 jewel watch from the looks of things on the inside