Pocket watches

wuluf

wuluf

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I've gotten into them. I currently have three, a modern mechanical, a Swiss Lever from 1910, and a Waltham that belonged to a great uncle from 1907. It's a harmless affectation that gets me some funny looks. I find it interesting; I've heard that pocket watches went out of favor because wrist watches were more convenient. Now, younger folk are eschewing wrist watches in favor of their phones, which live in their pockets. Oh, the irony..

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I was into American railroad watches for a while. Fun researching them, and they were very fine timepieces. They came about because, in our vast country, trains kept on running into each other on the single tracks that traversed our continent. Need one or the other train to pull off on a spur while the other roars on through.

1885, if memory serves, with Ball, approved railroad watches began. Had to be accurate within something like 30 secs a week. (I think it was.) A railroad man's watch had to be checked — regulated — weekly.

Fun stuff. Still have three. Two Hamiltons and an Illinois.
 
I'm wearing mine.....

...right now. I have an old watch from my Grandfather and I had a nice small one of my own but a close relative with a drug habit relieved me of it. I don't remember the brand, but I can't find another like it. Right now I have a Woodford I got from England, not expensive and suitable for me. My ambition is to get something really nice, but in my present state of impecuniosity I doubt that will happen.

I wear them as a 'statement'. I'm an 'old timey' person in a modern world. I despise cell phones even though I have one. (My phone also doubles as a diabetic monitor and I HATE IT. It starts screaming if I'm high or low and you can't turn it off)

Also, I much prefer mechanical things over digital. I'm not a complete Luddite, but always learning new technology that will be different in a years time isn't how I want to live.

I've said it before. Old cars you could work on, guns, mechanical watches and typewriters are a few of my favorite things.
 
I have a rather nice collection of around two dozen American-made pocket watches, mostly Elgin, dating from the late-1870s to the mid-1930s. Of course I have a Hamilton and a few Walthams thrown in for good measure!

Here's some interesting points - not all pocket watches were railroad grade watches; not all railroad grade watches were used by railroads; not all railroads followed all of the standards for railroad watches; and railroad standards kept changing every few years, and at one point even listed specific manufacturers, models numbers and serial number ranges. And lastly, railroad grade pocket watches were not the best time-keeping watches made by any of the major watch companies - the best were the deck and navigation watches used on ships for celestial navigation!
 
I have 3 but have not worn one in 40+ years. One is mine, and two belonged to my Dad. I have no idea what brand they are but knowing him, probably not terribly expensive.

I do have a few incredibly nice wrist watches and I do wear them about half the week when venturing out to dinner or to a friends house. I grew up in a generation that always wore a wristwatch and I still follow that upbringing, except when working around the house.
 
My dad carried an old Waltham pocket watch for a while before he passed.
My sister has that watch now. He even carried it with a fob exposed.

I'm not a watch collector and don't know a lot about them, but own a couple of pocket watches.

The one in the watch hutch is a Waltham. Nothing fancy, it just looks good in the early hutch.

The other is an 1860's American. This watch though not an expensive one has a lot of history.

The man who owned it, shown in the original tintype, was a confederate soldier who fought with Co. B, 25th Va. Infantry Reg. His wife is the lady in the photo next to him.

His family farm was located in Virginia and everything on it including the wagon works was destroyed during the battle of Spotsylvania Court House.

I received it from an older gentleman with a lot of historical documentation of his family. He said no one in his family was interested in the watch, the photos, or the family history. I have had the related items for almost 13 years and told him it would be well cared for while in my possession.

Right up there with Smith & Wesson Revolvers, American history is a favorite hobby of mine. I wish more young people had a greater appreciation of our nations past.
 

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I hate having anything on my wrist or my hands. So, I prefer pocket watches but for the longest I couldn't figure out how to carry it because I didn't want to be reaching under my shirt right next to my gun to pull my watch out of my pants pocket to see what time it was.

Then one day I realized that every single t-shirt I own has a pocket on it.

So I carry a notebook, a pen and my watch in my t-shirt pocket and just hook the chain to one of the buttonholes on my outer shirt.


The watch on the right is approximately 30 years old. The watch on the left I bought right around the time I retired. I'm not sure why watches are given as a retirement gift because if you're retired why do you need a watch?
 
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my Aerospace Engineer son has started to fix and build watches as a hobby... I find that fascinating, but couldn't even focus my eyes on the big parts lol.. he sharpens his tweezers with an Arkansas stone.. and he uses a microscope.. he is currently building me a watch for fathers day.. it's a secret.. no idea what it will be.. looking forward to seeing the watch..
 

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Pocket watches, vinyl records, turn table players and hats are just a few of the what-was-old is now new stuff.
I'm waiting for the teeny boppers to discover hip huggers and mini skirts.
 
I think it was around 1970....

Jon651 said:
I have a rather nice collection of around two dozen American-made pocket watches, mostly Elgin, dating from the late-1870s to the mid-1930s. Of course I have a Hamilton and a few Walthams thrown in for good measure!

Here's some interesting points - not all pocket watches were railroad grade watches; not all railroad grade watches were used by railroads; not all railroads followed all of the standards for railroad watches; and railroad standards kept changing every few years, and at one point even listed specific manufacturers, models numbers and serial number ranges. And lastly, railroad grade pocket watches were not the best time-keeping watches made by any of the major watch companies - the best were the deck and navigation watches used on ships for celestial navigation!
Click to expand...

My Dad (Seaboard/Coastline RR) had to buy a Seiko almost as soon as they came out. It was like 300 and some odd dollars which was a real expense back then. I suppose he could take it off his taxes. On ships didn't everybody sync their watches with the main chronometer, which was kept in a box?
 
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I have a few of those myself. A Great-Aunt came over one night and gave me seven of them. One belonged to my Great-Grandfather and one to my Great-Grandmother, the rest were from her Uncles and other family members. The one with the watch chain and fob was my Grandfathers.

In no particular order are:
Longines Senator
Burlington Watch Co. Model 9
Illinois watch Co. Model 7
Hamilton Watch Co. Model 5
Illinois Watch Co. Bunn Special Model 6
Waltham Watch Co. Model 1883
American Waltham Watch Co. Model 1891
Elgin Watch Company Model 1

All of these run and keep good time.
 

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Which is the Hunter....

AJ said:
I have a few of those myself. A Great-Aunt came over one night and gave me seven of them. One belonged to my Great-Grandfather and one to my Great-Grandmother, the rest were from her Uncles and other family members. The one with the watch chain and fob was my Grandfathers.

In no particular order are:
Longines Senator
Burlington Watch Co. Model 9
Illinois watch Co. Model 7
Hamilton Watch Co. Model 5
Illinois Watch Co. Bunn Special Model 6
Waltham Watch Co. Model 1883
American Waltham Watch Co. Model 1891
Elgin Watch Company Model 1
Click to expand...

... on the upper right with the Roman Numerals? That one suits me. Which one would you say is the highest quality? I'm guessing the Longines Senator. If you Google that you get Joe McCarthy speaking on the 1952 'Longines Chronoscope' talk show.
 
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rwsmith said:
... on the upper right with the Roman Numerals? That one suits me. Which one would you say is the highest quality? I'm guessing the Longines Senator. If you Google that you get Joe McCarthy speaking on the 1952 'Longines Chronoscope' talk show.
Click to expand...

The upper right with the Roman Numerals and a Hunter Case was my Great-Grandmothers. The highest quality is probably the Longines. The most valuable is probably in one of the big railroad watches called the Bunn Special.
 
chief38 said:
I have 3 but have not worn one in 40+ years. One is mine, and two belonged to my Dad. I have no idea what brand they are but knowing him, probably not terribly expensive.

I do have a few incredibly nice wrist watches and I do wear them about half the week when venturing out to dinner or to a friends house. I grew up in a generation that always wore a wristwatch and I still follow that upbringing, except when working around the house.
Click to expand...

You need a designated work around the house watch. Not to be confused with your everyday watch.
 
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