[N/A] Anybody into pocket watches?

Matthew

Matthew

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Got a couple newbie questions (mechanical, not quartz/battery) ...
 
I picked up a nice one for my dad on the trip overseas, silver detailing with the "whirling dervishes" on the front. He says he's officially old now, I told him it means he can know that he doesn't have to show up at the airport 6 hours early to pick me up! :rofl:

Past buying one for a souvenir, no ideas unfortunately. I think they are pretty neat though.
 
I've always been fascinated with the craftsmanship and accuracy of even a hundred+ year old watch. I just think they are very cool machines. I'm wondering specifically of US made watches from around early-mid 1900s. Not as a museum piece of art, but as a working piece of machinery.
 
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Matthew said:
Got a couple newbie questions (mechanical, not quartz/battery) ...
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I had a really nice 1923 21 jewel pocket watch that kept excellent time til some SOB burgled my house and left with it. I do have a couple of Bradford Exchange pocket watches and a couple of sounenirs from Scotland.
But does anyone really know what time it is? There's three clocks in the kitchen, six in the living room, three in the office, and at least three in the bedroom. None count the pocket watches or the three Blue Angels Citizens I have.
Some are easy to fix. Some best drop by a jeweler.
 
silver-eagle said:
I had a really nice 1923 21 jewel pocket watch that kept excellent time til some SOB burgled my house and left with it. I do have a couple of Bradford Exchange pocket watches and a couple of sounenirs from Scotland.
But does anyone really know what time it is? There's three clocks in the kitchen, six in the living room, three in the office, and at least three in the bedroom. None count the pocket watches or the three Blue Angels Citizens I have.
Some are easy to fix. Some best drop by a jeweler.
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For my first solo, my dad bought me a Blue Angel Citizen watch. Not knowing any better (oblivious to the kind of watch I was dealing with), I walked into a Walmart and asked if I could have the links shortened. They said absolutely - show us the watch! Then the color drained from the guy's face and he told me that they don't work on watches THAT expensive.

My car got broken into 3 weeks ago and I had it in the center column under the secret panel. They stole everything, tools, fishing pole, even stole the hooks and bait and my manuals from the glove box. But they didn't go underneath the center console thankfully. Lesson learned, don't store anything in the car. Especially something so valuable, sentimentally and financially. Sorry to hear yours got swiped.
 
There's someone here on POA who is into pocket watches, or maybe just watches. If I had to guess I would say it is Steingar, but I could be way off.
 
I've been doing some research on Hamiltons, especially the model 992/992B. From the prices, they seem pretty popular with collectors. They seem to be what most people consider to be THE railroad watch. It's said that many old US made pocket watches can still keep better time than a modern Rolex. I'm not really wanting to become a collector, I'd just like to pick up a working model that's known to be a good example of the craft.
 
Everskyward said:
There's someone here on POA who is into pocket watches, or maybe just watches. If I had to guess I would say it is Steingar, but I could be way off.
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Perceptive as always. I do have a bit of a collection and interest. "Railroad" watches do carry a premium. They were actually based on a performance standard for readability and accuracy (started after an collision caused by a faulty pocket watch). Most are 21 jewel, though examples with 23 jewel movements can be had for a (rather large) price. A watch I bought as a 21 jewel actually had a 23 jewel movement. Happy me.

A mechanical watch can readily be as accurate as a quartz watch so long as the former is maintained in good condition. It will never be as accurate as the one in your phone.

Nothing whatsoever wrong with Hamiltons, my favorite watchmaker has a collection with an example of every Hamilton ever made. I myself am not a huge fan of railroad a watches and am in the process of selling the only one I own. I find them somewhat clunky in appearance and prefer the art deco look of bankers watches, of which I have many examples. That said, I am unusual even among watch enthusiasts. Big surprise, eh?

The fifth pocket in your jeans is there for a pocket watch, by the way. America became predominant in watch manufacture early in the 20th century, and the watches are works of art, with damascening in the movements and gorgeous designs on the cases. Give yourself an even bigger treat and get one in solid gold (most are "gold fill" which is a forerunner to gold plating).

Make certain your watch is working and keeping good time before you accept delivery. Parts are very, very hard to come by for many. I have one (a pentagonal Gruen) for which there are no crystals left anywhere. If I ever drop it that's it for the watch.
 
The last time I was in Hong Kong I scored a "Romex" for about fifty bucks. You can't tell it from a real Rolex unless you examined it very carefully and knew what you were looking at.

I like fine mechanical contraptions as much as the next guy but I'm all about function too. I can't really see the internals of my watch. I'd be happier with a nice, rugged stainless steel case and band with a quartz face that has the internal cell phone clock electronics synced with the NIST server.

I used to but I don't wear fine watches anymore. I destroy watches. The last Heuer Leonadis divers watch I had met it's fat in the mosh pit of a Bush concert. I loved that watch. I went to ten dollar plastic disposable digital watches, and then I quit wearing watches altogether.
 
So, Steingar, what's an example of a banker's watch?



Sac Arrow said:
I'd be happier with a nice, rugged stainless steel case and band with a quartz face that has the internal cell phone clock electronics synced with the NIST server.
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Then check out Casio G-Shock. Indestructible, decently priced, and many models do sync every day.
 
Matthew said:
So, Steingar, what's an example of a banker's watch?
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I haven't any photos on this machine to upload, wish I did. "Banker's watch" is a colloquial term for smaller pocket watches, nearly all of mine are 12 size (typical railroad watches are 16 size, some 18. European watches are similar but slightly different). Most are from a slightly later era, as the technology of the railroad watches was miniaturized. Several of mine, like my Tiffany, are solid gold.

Smaller than that, 10 or smaller, tend to be for ladies pendants. I have I think a zero size solid gold swiss watch, though none of those kept particularly good time.

I like the smaller watches for several reasons. I like the look, I consider it elegant. Like I said, I regard most railroad watches as blocky and inelegant. Acquisition costs for smaller watches are less (as are sale prices). I also like picking up the gold watches and saving them from the smelter. And my 12 size watches fit really well in the watch pocket of my jeans.

Like I said, I am very unusual in this regard. Most collectors go for the larger watches, especially the railroad watches.
 
You guys just cost me some money!!! :mad2:

Although it is only 17 jewels, here are some scans of my beauty. Illinois Watch Company. Note the hour and minute hands are not original, during the last disassembly for cleaning in the 1960s the old hands were trashed and these were the best match they could find - and it wasn't a good match.

I just pulled it out of the vault (aka sock drawer) and although it runs well, you can no longer set the time. So into the shop it goes, low priority.

This watch was given to my grandfather by his grandfather when he turned 21. That would be in 1913. (This doesn't reliably date the watch, as it may not have been new when originally gifted. Anybody have a clue to date this watch?) And my grandfather kept it until he passed in 1990, when I inherited it. Fun memento and keepsake, for sure.

-Skip

PS: The colors you see on the escapement wheel in the third upload are due to the motion of the escapement. It is running!
 

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Skip Miller said:
You guys just cost me some money!!! :mad2:

Although it is only 17 jewels, here are some scans of my beauty. Illinois Watch Company. Note the hour and minute hands are not original, during the last disassembly for cleaning in the 1960s the old hands were trashed and these were the best match they could find - and it wasn't a good match.

I just pulled it out of the vault (aka sock drawer) and although it runs well, you can no longer set the time. So into the shop it goes, low priority.

This watch was given to my grandfather by his grandfather when he turned 21. That would be in 1913. (This doesn't reliably date the watch, as it may not have been new when originally gifted. Anybody have a clue to date this watch?) And my grandfather kept it until he passed in 1990, when I inherited it. Fun memento and keepsake, for sure.

-Skip

PS: The colors you see on the escapement wheel in the third upload are due to the motion of the escapement. It is running!
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Nice. That's a good looking watch. The engraving on the movements of some of those watches is so nice it's a shame you can't see it with the case on it.

Looks like it was made in 1909.

http://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/illinois/2138343
 
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Skip Miller said:
Thanks. Yes, my Google-Fu found the same database. They value it at about $200 retail. Thanks, I'll keep it in the sock drawererrr vault.

-Skip
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d'oh, I got the wrong S/N but it didn't make a difference in the dates and model.
 
This might be what the original hands looked like.
 

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Well, open it up and see how cool it looks. And how well it works after a hundred years or so.
 

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Matthew said:
Well, open it up and see how cool it looks. And how well it works after a hundred years or so.
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Yeah, mechanical clocks are cool, some of the old church tower clocks in Europe are amazing. I have an old ship's time piece mounted in a gimbal in a box. Thing is, to keep it running well takes reasonably expensive servicing, and winding every few days. It used to be funny, winding the clock was always the Third Mates duty, and woe be the mate that lets it run out. "Oh God, how the hell can we navigate when we don't know what time it is?" and make them sweat it for 20 minutes. Then we tune in 5000, 10,000, or 15,000 on the SSB and get the time tick and reset it.:lol:
 
Skip Miller said:
You guys just cost me some money!!! :mad2:

Although it is only 17 jewels, here are some scans of my beauty. Illinois Watch Company.
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Nice watch, thanks for posting it up. I'll try to remember to post up some photos of mine. I've got more than a few Illinois, nice watches. Even managed to score myself an Illini, super rare.

I've got a few that were manufactured in my home state (including my pentagonal Gruen), one that was manufactured in my city. Bought one once that was inscribed to a local politician. Provenance and all. On its first outing the watch quit working, the chain broke and the bow broke off.
 
Henning said:
I have a Samsung Galaxy S4 as a pocket watch. :lol:
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Most folks do, nothing wrong with it at all. The clocks in phones are more accurate too.

Carrying a pocket watch has nothing to do with expedience. It has almost nothing to do with actually telling time. Its a different sort of thing.
 
steingar said:
Perceptive as always. I do have a bit of a collection and interest. "Railroad" watches do carry a premium. They were actually based on a performance standard for readability and accuracy (started after an collision caused by a faulty pocket watch).
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Dad was a big watch guy, mostly pocket watches . He had several very nice vintage Hamilton railroad watches and a vintage Paket Philippe. He also had a WWII era Hamilton ships clock complete with the original gimbal and wood storage box. It's beautiful.

I'm slumming it. I wanted to try an automatic wristwatch but didn't want to pay a king's ransom to get one. I bought an Invicta 9937, a well made Chinese (case and band) Rolex Submariner knockoff that uses the Swiss Sellita movement. My thinking was, I'll buy this $300 starter, and when it dies, I'll move up if I still like the automatic.

Four years later, the thing still runs like a top and keeps time within 90s/month to the cell phone. Good enough for me. I may never have to buy another wristwatch.
 
Matthew said:
Well, open it up and see how cool it looks. And how well it works after a hundred years or so.
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I wonder what the second picture will look like when Matthew IV posts about the watch passed down by one of his great grandfathers in 2114.
 
Bill Jennings said:
Dad was a big watch guy, mostly pocket watches . He had several very nice vintage Hamilton railroad watches and a vintage Paket Philippe.
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I'd LOVE to score a Patek, but they are far too spendy for my meager resources.

Many of my watches are approaching 100, don't think any are over that mark. Still, find me something else that works perfectly after 90 to 100 years. Good luck with that.
 
steingar said:
I'd LOVE to score a Patek, but they are far too spendy for my meager resources.

Many of my watches are approaching 100, don't think any are over that mark. Still, find me something else that works perfectly after 90 to 100 years. Good luck with that.
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My grandma worked pretty well for over a hundred years. But once grandmas wear out, they are pretty much done.
 
Matthew said:
My grandma worked pretty well for over a hundred years. But once grandmas wear out, they are pretty much done.
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Worked for a hundred years, but I bet toward the end of that she did not work like a finely tuned watch. Find me a machine that works as well today as it did in 1914. You'll find a few, but not to damn many.
 
steingar said:
Worked for a hundred years, but I bet toward the end of that she did not work like a finely tuned watch. Find me a machine that works as well today as it did in 1914. You'll find a few, but not to damn many.
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Here's one: The engine in the SS Sabino, the last wood hull coal fired steamship in regular operation in the US. She is still powered by the two-cylinder Paine compound steam engine installed in 1908.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfOOgwWro9A

-Skip
 
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Skip Miller said:
Here's one: The engine in the SS Sabino, the last wood hull coal fired steamship in regular operation in the US. She is still powered by the two-cylinder Paine compound steam engine installed in 1908.

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=mfOOgwWro9A

-Skip
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One. Goody for you. I have 60 pocket watches between 80 and 100 years old. All work just as well as the day they were new.
 
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