Pocket Watches

About Antique Pocket Watches

Pocket watch use peaked in the late 19th century as a wave of investment went into pocket watch design and manufacture. This was because railroads needed highly accurate, precision timepieces so their locomotive engineers could maintain strict schedules, thus avoiding collisions.

Hunting case watches, popular during the 19th century, have a closed cover that flips open when you push a button. By 1900, the open face watch took over and hunting case watches became less commonplace...

The shafts on the wheels of pocket watches are made of steel, and the plates are made of different kinds of brass, most commonly nickel brass (also known as nickel plate). The gears are usually made of brass, but some were made of steel and gold was used on high-grade watches.

Antique pocket watch collectors care both about a watch's movement and its case. Cases were made of different metals like silver and gold. Many were gold-filled, with two thin sheets of gold on the outside around a thicker layer of brass.

Pocket watch cases were also made from a wide variety of silver colored material, with names like silveride, usually nickel based. While gold watch cases are appealing to collectors, today's value has more to do with what was appropriate to the watch at the time.

The quality of an antique pocket watch movement is related to the number of jewels it has and other factors. For a more detailed discussion of jewels see railroad pocket watches.

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Interviews & Articles

An Interview With Antique Pocket Watch Collector Tom McIntyre

I got interested in clocks in 1967, and I started collecting watches fairly seriously in the early ‘80s. I ran out … [more]

An Interview With Antique Pocket Watch Collector Barry S. Goldberg

I got started collecting pocket watches partly because I hated wearing wristwatches; I used to carry my wristwatch … [more]

An Interview With Vintage Watch and Clock Expert Jonathan Snellenburg

I grew up outside of Philadelphia. I didn’t have any particular interest in clocks or watches as a kid; that came a… [more]



Best of the Web (“Hall of Fame”)

Barry S. Goldbergs Pocket Watch Collection

Barry S. Goldbergs Pocket Watch Collection

Barry Goldberg’s excellent collection of pocket watches, mostly American models from the late 1800s and early 189… [read review or visit site]

American Watch Company Web

American Watch Company Web

Tom McIntyre’s reference site on antique watches, especially those made by the American Watch Company (later know… [read review or visit site]

Heartland Horology

Heartland Horology

This simple but impressive site features visually stunning, high resolution photographs of American pocket watch mo… [read review or visit site]

National Watch and Clock Museum

National Watch and Clock Museum

This virtual museum, created by the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, lets you stroll through tim… [read review or visit site]


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Clubs & Associations: Pocket Watches


Discussion Forums: Pocket Watches


Other Great Reference Sites: Pocket Watches

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Patek Philippe & Co Geneve 20 Jewels Chronometer - 1892$4,850 Ends Tuesday 31 bids 70 watchers
Repeater Pocket Watch With Chronograph 14ct Gold !!!$2,601 Ends Sunday 22 bids 29 watchers
Unusual Gold Pendant Dress Watch By Patek Philippe$2,582 Ends Friday 1 bid 10 watchers
Very Rare Silver Case Erotic Verge 3 Person Scene$2,051 Ends Tuesday 1 bid 10 watchers
Heuer Super Autavia Dash Mounted Chronograph$2,050 Ends Saturday 9 bids 28 watchers
Rare Dudley Masonic 19 J. Pocket Watch Mint$1,924 Ends Sunday 18 bids 62 watchers
Pennsylvania Special Pocketwatch 26 Jewels - B1$1,802 Ends Tuesday 16 bids 11 watchers
Iwc International Watch Co Calibre Jones - 1872$1,480 Ends Friday 14 bids 55 watchers
1/4 Repeater Perpetual Calendar Chronograph Day Date$1,425 Ends Sunday 23 bids 116 watchers
Very Rare Patek Philippe & Cie Geneve - Big Size 52 Mm$1,400 Ends Wednesday 28 bids 44 watchers
1/4 Repeater ~ Perpetual Calendar Moonphase Chrono Nr!$1,325 Ends Friday 18 bids 48 watchers
Vintage Heuer Monte Carlo Rad Decimal Rally Stopwatch$1,325 Ends Sunday 16 bids 41 watchers
Solid 18k English Minute Repeater Hunter C1872$1,245 Ends in 17 hours 28 bids 106 watchers
Solid 14k Gold A.lange & Sohne Glashutte B/dresden Q.1a$1,225 Ends Wednesday 13 bids 59 watchers
Solid 14k Multi-color Gold-true Box Hinge-18s-heavy!!$1,200 Ends Sunday 10 bids 17 watchers
18s, Masive 14k Solid Gold Waltham Multi Color Hunter.$1,200 Ends Sunday 22 bids 29 watchers
Pocket Watch Reuge Musical Alarm Automaton$1,181 Ends Monday 23 bids 53 watchers
Antique Vintage Illinois Bunn Special Gold Pocket Watch$1,136 Ends Thursday 5 bids 13 watchers
Patek Philippe 18k Gubelin Pocket Watch$1,125 Ends Sunday 17 bids 58 watchers
Rare Mint Gilt Champleve Dial Verge Fusee Watch C1678$1,093 Ends Friday 13 bids 35 watchers
Rolexs Cal.534 Antique Swiss Military Style Men’s Watch$1,085 Ends Friday 19 bids 47 watchers
Dudley 14k Masons Model #2 19j Open Display 12s Nr $1,032 Ends Monday 6 bids 22 watchers
Wow 1868 E Howard Series Iii N Size Massive 18k Hunter!$1,025 Ends Tuesday 7 bids 31 watchers
Authentic Masonic Tempor Solvil Antique Pocket Watch$1,025 Ends Friday 13 bids 35 watchers
Rare Solid Silver Pair Case Verge Fusee Pocket Watch.$1,017 Ends in 19 hours 24 bids 88 watchers
18kt Gold Waltham Riverside Maximus Shreve Boston$1,000.00 Ends Wednesday 1 bid 23 watchers
1879 E Howard Series V L Size Massive 18k Hunter! Wow!!$960.00 Ends Tuesday 7 bids 32 watchers
Ulysse Nardin 18k Solid Pink Gold Hunting Pocket Watch$930.00 Ends in 21 hours 13 bids 42 watchers
Authentic Used Tag Heuer Carrera Automatic$905.00 Ends in 18 hours 19 bids 25 watchers
18k Centre Seconds Hunter Chronograph With Box $903.98 Ends Sunday 8 bids 19 watchers
M.j. Tobias 18k Big Heavy Solid Gold Hunter Case Org.$900.00 Ends Thursday 1 bid 7 watchers
Swiss Automation Music Box Pocket Watch Arnex 20th C$900.00 Ends in 16 hours 1 bid 17 watchers
Fancy Enamel Antique 18k Solid Gold Swiss Pocket Watch$818.00 Ends in 1 hour 12 bids 67 watchers
Iwc International Watch Co Schaffhausen Cal.57-19lig.h6$810.00 Ends Tuesday 45 bids 75 watchers
Rare 20s Kw Private Label Waltham Worcester 18k Gold Pw$810.00 Ends Tuesday 13 bids 28 watchers
Bunn Special 163a Elinvar 23 Jewels Sixty Hour$808.00 Ends Sunday 6 bids 61 watchers
Amazing Antique Fusee 18k 18ct Solid Gold Pocket Watch$805.00 Ends in 1 hour 24 bids 70 watchers
French 18th Century Gold Verge Pocket Watch$799.88 Ends Sunday 4 bids 19 watchers
Anonymous Repeater & Omega Silver Pocketwatches Lot$799.00 Ends Monday 1 bid 14 watchers
14k Solid Gold 18s Hampden Box Hinge Hc Pocket Watch!$775.00 Ends Sunday 12 bids 28 watchers
16s Illinois 23j 60 Hour Bun Special 14k Gf Case 173 $760.00 Ends in 4 hours 12 bids 34 watchers
Vintage Rolex Pocket Watch Observatory Quality Class A$755.00 Ends Friday 4 bids 22 watchers
Patek Philippe 18k Enameled Mans Pocket Watch$730.00 Ends Sunday 24 bids 63 watchers
Iwc Schaffhausen Vintage 18k Gold Oversized Watch$710.00 Ends Thursday 8 bids 34 watchers
Elgin B.w. Raymond 23j 16s Up Down Wind Indicator. 6pos$700.00 Ends Saturday 9 bids 32 watchers
18k Solid Gold Quarter Hour Repeater Pocket Watch Key$685.00 Ends Sunday 15 bids 37 watchers
Tiffany & Co. 18k Gold Pocket Watch W/agassiz Movement$662.88 Ends Sunday 21 bids 81 watchers
Iwc Schaffhausen 14k Solid Gold Pocket Watch Cal. 73 ! $644.18 Ends Saturday 9 bids 49 watchers
Antique German Pocket Watch 6 Time Zone Depose No4975$641.00 Ends in 1 hour 4 bids 7 watchers
Vintage Ball Watch Co.cleveland, Rr Standard 23j,5adj$637.00 Ends Sunday 2 bids 29 watchers
Stunning 18k Solid Gold Waltham Antique Pocket Watch$618.00 Ends in 1 hour 7 bids 48 watchers
Vacheron Constantin 14k Solid Gold Antique Pocket Watch$616.00 Ends Thursday 22 bids 43 watchers
Vacheron & Constantiin , Geneva$611.01 Ends Saturday 27 bids 84 watchers
Doxa Skeleton Pocket Watch$610.00 Ends in 11 hours 15 bids 12 watchers
Antique Illinois Lincoln Pocket Watch 14k Gold 21 Jewel$609.99 Ends Monday 12 bids 9 watchers
Early Silver Repousse Repeater By Cabrier C1750$609.24 Ends in 17 hours 11 bids 67 watchers
E Howard And Co 14k Pocketwatch - D7$608.00 Ends in 17 hours 15 bids 25 watchers
Waltham Dennison Howard & Davis Serial #2458$601.13 Ends Sunday 14 bids 49 watchers
Rare 1920”s Cartier Travel Deck Clock 8 Day No Reserve!$565.00 Ends Saturday 19 bids 40 watchers
Mickey Mouse 1930s Ingersoll Pocket Watch Great Britain$565.00 Ends in 21 hours 17 bids 30 watchers

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Recent News: Pocket Watches

Source: Google News

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It follows a strange white rabbit wearing a vest and carrying a pocket watch with him. The rabbit is running across a field and then disappears into a hole...Read more

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A TRUE superstar came to town in the form of NSW dynamo Lombo Pocket Watch who had won 22 of his 26 starts. He was an unbackable $1.10 favourite and led all...Read more

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That's when Neville invested in a dapper antique pocket watch. He liked it so much, he bought another, then another - and that pretty much changed the...Read more

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Daily Gleaner, March 13th

Paul Blackmore, owner-operator of Blackmore's Watch and Clock Repair, adjusts the time on a customer's Waltham Vanguard Railroad Pocket Watch made in 1915...Read more

Asli Indian Standard Time
Outlook, March 13th

Some years later, in Chennai, when my nana's pocket watch, a dainty piece of British make, began to lose time, I offered to take the irregularly pulsating...Read more

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He added that a Cartier ruby-set platinum and rock crystal pocket watch sold for more than double its estimate and the sale of the Cartier Comet Clock with...Read more

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Helena Independent Record, March 1st

Someone swinging a pocket watch back and forth in front of your face, saying, “You're getting very sleepy …” and then making you cluck like a chicken?...Read more

Pocket Watches

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