Collecting Antique Pocket Watches

Very few people use pocket watches these days; most personal timepieces are wristwatches, which have proven to be more functional. Pocket watches are popular mainly as collectors’ items; these vintage watches can be beautiful and also valuable. A good collection can be seen not only as a hobby but as an investment.

The first portable timepieces were developed in Germany in the 16th century; these first watches, called “Nuremberg eggs,” were more portable clocks than pocket watches. Over the next hundred years, the parts were miniaturized further, and balance springs were first introduced in 1670, leading to the first use of a minute hand and reasonable accuracy (keeping time to within 5-10 minutes each day).

Pocket watches in the 17th and 18th centuries were often housed in double or triple cases, the outer cases usually heavily decorated and made of gold, silver, or gilt brass. By the 19th century, housings were sometimes made of nickel or blue steel, and the design elements became simpler. Mass production began in the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

It’s unlikely that casual collectors will be able to afford any pocket watches produced prior to the 18th century; 17th-century watches, if they can be found at all, are likely to be sold in specialist auctions at extremely high prices. However, you can find watches dating from the 1730s and on, at prices of around a thousand dollars or more. Most of these early watches are in silver or gilt cases. You will have even more luck with watches from the 1800s and early 1900s. Large numbers of high-quality watches were made in England during this time, though the English trade began to decline at the end of the 19th century. Since that time, most pocket watches have been produced in Switzerland and the United States. Two good American brands to look for are Elgin and Waltham.

Before beginning a collection, read as much about the topic as possible. The Pocket Watch Handbook by M. Cutmore (Bracken Books, 1985) is a good reference for beginners. If there are dealers in your area, visit them and examine several watches; be prepared with questions you can ask the dealer. And keep an eye out for watch shows and conventions that may be put on in your area; here, you’ll have ample opportunity to talk with dealers and other collectors, and get lots of valuable pointers.

Start out slow; don’t spend a lot of money on your first timepieces. And try to avoid watches that are listed as “in need of servicing,” unless you are truly handy and wish to take up watch repair as well as watch collecting as a hobby. It’s likely that out-of-repair watches will be dried out, and will need complete servicing before they will function reliably.

Examine the case carefully. If the case is smooth, was it intended to be smooth, or has it simply been worn down through heavy use? Plain cases only became common in the 19th century, and only in certain kinds of watches; most others were ornamented in some fashion. Also ask whether the watch has been recased. Recasing is often necessary, to replace a worn-out case for a functioning watch, but some sellers deliberately recase a watch in an effort to increase its value. Check to see whether the style of the case matches that of the watch movement. Often, the watch serial number is stamped on both the case and the movement. If you find matching serial numbers, that’s a good sign, but the absence of a serial number on the case is not necessarily a warning sign either; particularly in later Swiss and American models, the cases were not stamped with the serial number. In fact, these mass-produced watches were often sent to retailers for casing.

Check to see whether the hinges on the movement line up with the case; whether the winding hole matches with the winding square; and (on English watches) whether the release catch (at 6:00 o’clock) fits properly.

Examine the dial. If it’s chipped or cracked, that will reduce the value of the watch. Hairline fractures are less problematic. The finish should be bright, and an elaborately engraved movement will fetch higher prices than a plain one.

Finally, take a look at the hallmark, if any; hallmarks are useful in dating watches. The hallmark is a stamp engraved on the case; originally, hallmarks were stamped on precious metals such as gold, silver, and platinum to signify the purity of the metal. However, additional marks were often engraved, such as the manufacturer’s stamp. Because it is sometimes difficult to correctly interpret hallmarks, use the style of movement and other clues to help date a watch as well.

Collecting antique pocket watches can be a rewarding and lucrative lifelong hobby, but you should learn as much as you can about these expensive heirlooms before sinking too much money into the effort. Happy collecting!

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