Global Gemology - Rare Gems & Jewels
  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • SHOP
  • SERVICES
    • APPRAISALS
    • SELL YOUR JEWELRY
  • GEMOLOGY
    • GEM ENCYCLOPEDIA
    • THE ART OF GEMOLOGY
  • JEWELRY EDUCATION
    • DIAMOND FACTS
    • JEWELER DIRECTORY
    • JEWELRY PERIODS
    • POCKET WATCHES
    • NATIVE AMERICAN JEWELRY
  • GLOSSARY

POCKET WATCHES

Picture

​Pocket watches have been a staple in gentlemen's fashion for centuries.

Scroll down for facts and photos of pocket watches.

Pocket Watch History

Picture

It is believed that the first prototype of the pocket watch was worn in the 1400s, around the neck.  Pocket watches were strictly custom order pieces for the upper class.

Prior to the 1520s, pocket watches only had an hour hand.  In the 1520s, famous German watchmaker, Peter Heinlein, introduced his spring-loaded design to pocket watches, allowing for the addition of a minute hand.  More wheels were added to the movements, meaning watches would have to be wound less often.  Jewels were also used as bearings, reducing wear and tear at the points of high friction.

Railroads were a big part of the 1700s' Industrial Revolution.  Railroad workers were required to carry a specific grade of pocket watch, and depended on these watches to avoid collisions, derailments or other accidents.  Railroad pocket watches, dubbed "railroaders", are now a collector's item.

When wristwatches became popular before World War I, pocket watches began declining in popularity.  In the 1960s, popularity of pocket watches was further affected by the invention of electronic watches.  By the 1970s, the quartz watch movement rendered pocket watches completely obsolete.

Some watchmakers make pocket watches to this day, as more of a novelty.  Antique and vintage pocket watches are collector's items, and can be very valuable depending on the quality, rarity and condition.

CASE TYPES
DIAL TYPES
MOVEMENT FINISHES
HAND STYLES

Pocket Watch Gallery

Picture

Serial Number Date Charts

Picture

Elgin

Hamilton

Illinois

Omega

Waltham

  • HOME
  • ABOUT
  • SHOP
  • SERVICES
    • APPRAISALS
    • SELL YOUR JEWELRY
  • GEMOLOGY
    • GEM ENCYCLOPEDIA
    • THE ART OF GEMOLOGY
  • JEWELRY EDUCATION
    • DIAMOND FACTS
    • JEWELER DIRECTORY
    • JEWELRY PERIODS
    • POCKET WATCHES
    • NATIVE AMERICAN JEWELRY
  • GLOSSARY