Vintage Pocket Watches have made a come-back for their timeless beauty and quality craftsmanship. We’ll cover a brief history, different types of watches, from the open face, hunter, and sidewinder, to different movements and more.
Vintage Pocket Watches – A Brief History
The first portable pocket watch was invented in 1505 by German locksmith Peter Henlein who designed it for sailors in place of the hourglass they typically used during their 4-hour time shifts. These watches were bulkier and heavier than later models.
Then in 1891, jeweler Webb C. Ball improved the functionality and size of the pocket watch so it could maintain precise railway schedules and help prevent future accidents. The pocket watch saw a rise in popularity since railroad engineers relied on it to maintain more accurate time schedules. The pocket watch had to go through several rounds of tests for it to perform accurately. Not only did the watch need a minimum of 17 jewels, but it had to be tested for power reserve and isochronism and be resistant to magnetism. The open-face design with black numbers on a white dial, made the watch easy to read in a crunch.
Vintage Pocket Watch Types
Open Face Vintage Pocket Watches
The first type of pocket watch we’ll cover is the open face. Open face pocket watches do not have a cover over the watch face/crystal making the dial more accessible, an advantage for people on the go.
Patek Philippe & Co. 18K Gold Open Face Pocket Watch
Dating back to 1889, this vintage pocket watch by Patek Philippe has an 18K gold case (44mm) with Arabic numerals, blue hands, and a sub-dial at 6 o’clock.
All aboard! This railroad-approved manual winding gold-filled vintage pocket watch by Elgin BW Raymond features 21 jewels, white enamel, and a single sunk dial with Arabic numerals.
Vacheron Constantin 18K Yellow Gold Enamel Pocket Watch
For the art lover, this circa 1916 vintage pocket by Vacheron Constantin features a textured gold matte with a single sunken sub-dial and Arabic numerals. The back cover features a beautifully enameled portrait of a cherub with two young women. It’s framed with vines and leaves set in 18K yellow gold.
Hunter Case Vintage Pocket Watches
The second type of vintage pocket watch is the Hunter case, which offers a more formal flair. Unlike the open face, the cover is placed over the watch face/crystal for added protection.
Cartier 18K Yellow Gold Pocket Watch
The epitome of class, Cartier’s 18K yellow gold manual winding vintage pocket watch (42mm) signed Baume & Mercier, features a Champagne dial with stick hour markers.
Rare Collectible Waltham Hunter Case Five Minute Repeating Chronograph Pocket Watch
One of the rarest American pocket watches is the Waltham 14K Yellow Gold Five Minute Repeating Chronograph Pocket Watch. It features a 14K yellow gold hunting case (55mm), a white enamel dial with black Roman numeral hour markers. Arabic numerals mark every 5 seconds and a sub-seconds dial at the 6 o’clock position.
Waltham is the only American company to ever make repeater pocket watches. They were made in limited quantities, which makes them highly collectible today.
Sidewinder
Sidewinder vintage pocket watches are similar to hunter cases with a few differences. For instance, the dial is mounted in an open-face case and the winding stem is located at the 3 o’clock position instead of 12 o’clock.
Collectible Longines 14K Yellow Gold Roulette Pocket Watch
Take a spin with this collectible Longines Roulette Hunter Case Pocket Watch! Set in 14K yellow gold it features a rotating bezel with an arrow pointing at the roulette wheel. The watch has a gold dial along with raised gold numerals. The sunken second register is at 6 o’clock.
If you love vintage pocket watches, take a look at these Men’s vintage watches available for purchase on DeMesy.com!
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