A Return to Pocket Watches

[SS336]

I have three American railroad watches, two Hamiltons from the 1950s and this 1921 Illinois Sangamo Special:



I am not a watch guy but this knife makes me a little jealous. More info on it please.

 

[Onomea]

SS336, here is a thread on my knife: A Knife from Abercrombie & Fitch, 1959

 

[jrm53]

I have several Illinois 16 size watches mostly Bunn Specials your Sangamo looks great, I have never got to look at one or hold one. I never ran across one for sale or I would have one. Yours is very nice! There is a man in Kingsport Tn that does work on mine when they need service. Jeff

 

[Walter Rego]

A railroad grade Waltham. It has a crystal on the back to show the movement and can be lever-set for accuracy. This cost the equivalent of a weeks pay when it was new. I suppose the railroad issued them to the personnel who needed to carry one ?

At one time American mass produced watches were among the best in the world.

 

[Mule Packer]

I started carrying a pocket watch when I was 13 years old. While I will still wear a wrist watch, I carry a pocket watch more often than not. If nothing else, it just screams "style points!"

 

[Rustyt1953]

Memory jogging time. My grandfather was a fireman at the Liverpool boat docks and I remember that he usually wore a waistcoat that housed a pocket watch. I also remember him winding the large clock on his mantel.

 

[bdGreen]

Owned these two Hamiltons 992B's for a number of years.

Owned a Hamilton 950B years ago.

All gone now.

Got out of the pocket watch business.

Bought a nice Seiko wrist watch nearly ten years ago.

Don't ever wear it.

Now I have an Apple Series 7 and am getting used to bringing it along when I travel or go to the gym.

enjoy,

bdGreen

Tap on image to enlarge.

 

[Onomea]

My 1950s Hamiltons, 992B on the left and 950B on the right:

 

[DWalt]

My first watch as a kid was a so-called Dollar pocket watch. I think it actually cost more than a dollar, but not by much. I carried it all through grade school in the watch pocket of my Levi's. My grandfather was a gentleman of the old school, and always wore a vested pinstripe suit, even at home. In the vest he always carried his watch on a chain. It was an Illinois railroad watch, even though he had nothing to do with the railroad. I still have his watch, and it still runs. I occasionally wind it, but I have never used it.

 

[Stevens]

Hamilton 924

This was my Mothers Grandfather's watch, a Hamilton 924.
It was made in 1905. It will still run, we wind it from time to time.
Steve W

 

[31FordA]

I have a bunch of pocket watches, including watches from my Dad and both of my grandfathers. My Dad and his father never wore wristwatches, they said it was too easy to bust a wristwatch working in construction. My first watch in grade school was a pocket watch, and they were the only watches I used until I started flying. Digging my Westclox pocket watch out of my pocket in a Cessna 152 was a hassle, so I started wearing a Hamilton wrist watch.

I still wear a pocket watch when I'm doing yard work, working on cars, or going to the range. I'm sure Dad and Grandpop would approve.

 

[DWalt]

A railroad grade Waltham. It has a crystal on the back to show the movement and can be lever-set for accuracy. This cost the equivalent of a weeks pay when it was new. I suppose the railroad issued them to the personnel who needed to carry one ?

At one time American mass produced watches were among the best in the world.

I believe railroaders needing an accurate watch had to buy their own. And they had to be periodically inspected and adjusted by an approved jeweler or watchmaker. A trainman had to carry his watch inspection card with him. I have some of those cards from the 1940s. I came from a railroad town and I remember several local jewelry stores having signs in their windows saying that they were approved railroad watch inspection stations. I imagine technology has eliminated the need for such watches long ago.

 

[Chuck24]

I believe railroaders needing an accurate watch had to buy their own. And they had to be periodically inspected and adjusted by an approved jeweler or watchmaker. A trainman had to carry his watch inspection card with him. I have some of those cards from the 1940s. I came from a railroad town and I remember several local jewelry stores having signs in their windows saying that they were approved railroad watch inspection stations. I imagine technology has eliminated the need for such watches long ago.

Plus railroads rarely run both directions on one track anymore, which as I understand it, is the reason such accurate watches were required.

 

[Jon651]

I just realized that I don't have any really good close-up pictures of the watches in my collection to post. The next time my brother-in-law is in town with his fancy cameras I'll ask him to take a few photos (it might also help with insurance!).

Here is a picture of my display case. The only watch with the solid cover (4th row down, far right) is my grandfather's 1915 Elgin that I inherited about 20+ years ago that started my interest - and my collection.

Edit - I don't know why this picture keeps getting rotated 90 degrees, but I don't know how to correct it. Sorry...

 

[NYlakesider]

I did as mentioned carry a pocket instead of a wrist watch on job sites as a safety factor for a few years!

I retired from my construction job over 20 years ago and other than when going ashore when on a cruise, have not had a watch (wrist or pocket) with me. Heck just about every appliance in the house has a clock, my ATV, boat, car/trucks cell phones all have clocks.

 

[jscheck]

I've purchased a fob and leather strap for my watch and I'll post pictures when they arrive. I think the fob will be of particular interest to the board (even if it's a repro)!

 

[Mike 139]

I bought my first Pocket Watch when I was about 11…I needed it so I could be on time for my paper route…It was a Wesclox and cost around a dollar…I went thru a couple of them… lost or broken…


My wife gave me Her Grandfathers Elgin watch made in 1895…Fahey Case. We had it serviced and it keeps good time…with current events , it's a good option to wearing a higher end wristwatch…

 

[two-bit cowboy]

My grandfather (Dad's Dad) left me his 17-jewel railroad watch.

A few years ago a friend made a vest out of cowhide for me. He used a tiny tornado of a cowlick in the hide to make a pocket for the watch. I always carry the watch when I wear that vest. The "button" for the chain to attach to is an elk tooth.

 

[S&W629]

Gold Watch

When I turned 18..(1969)..I inherited my grand fathers solid gold pocket watch..a Walthem....which I still have...and it still runs....which gave me the impetus to collect pocket watches over the years..have two dozen..of various makes....found a odd one....a Timex Pocket Watch....that an email exchange with Timex....said did not exist....till I sent them a pic...then after they researched their files....found it as a one off special order....it still runs...

and the last one.....that keeps time to a minute fast in a month

 

[ladder13]

I have three American railroad watches, two Hamiltons from the 1950s and this 1921 Illinois Sangamo Special:

………..



…………

From the late 19th to mid 20th centuries, American railroad watches were among the finest timepieces in the world. They were required to be accurate to within 30 seconds a week, and were inspected weekly.

The requirement for highly accurate watches for railroad use came about because on the single track rails of the day, too many trains were running smack into each other. With accurate watches, one could safely pull aside on a spur to let the other pass.

The mechanism is a thing of beauty.

Sure beats my Apple Watch.