Pocket Watches and Waistcoats

[Macman]

I'd say I wear mine about half the time when I'm wearing a jacket and waistcoat. I really like the look, but sometimes I'd rather wear a wristwatch.

[figheadair]

I’ve had an old fob watch I inherited sitting in the draw for a number of years. It did work but stopped so I took it to the local watch dealer in Blairgowrie to see what they could do. There was an old gent there who was one of the last in the country that still services them.

He did a fine job and in doing so, I learnt a little more about it. Dated 1870, it was made in Auchterarder and so is local and a rarity to boot. It had a chunky non-silver chain on it but he had a lovely old one that he was prepared to sell me. Not quite as old, it is 1896 and every link and the bar are stamped with the Birmingham assay mark. I’m very pleased with the upgrade and look forward to an opportunity to wear it.

Alas, the gentleman recently retired and the shop has closed, so I got in just in time.

Pocket Watch - 1870a.jpg

[spr0k3t]

Here's my favorite one of the bunch (Elgin). The serial number dates it back to mid 1870s. I only wear this one during black/white tie events. The other Elgin is in a silver case and requires polishing almost every time I take it out to wear. The Omega isn't nearly as ornate as the Elgin pic attached. They all work quite well thanks to a local shop not far from me.

https://photos.app.goo.gl/e8FwdrEEY6Kpewy56

[User]

I like pocket watches from a stylistic standpoint. But these days I wear a health tracker with a clock, and it makes wearing a pocket watch superfluous. Who knows, maybe I'll pick one up again some day.

I let my last one go after the watch face began to tarnish excessively. I live in a very dry climate. Maybe it was from body moisture.

[spr0k3t]

I let my last one go after the watch face began to tarnish excessively. I live in a very dry climate. Maybe it was from body moisture.

That is exactly what happens to my silver one. It gets spotty whenever I wear it from the oils in my hands. When I polish it, that one goes back under the hermetically sealed glass case. I don't like wearing that one, but it's more ornate than the smoothie Omega. The one I linked to is 14K etched next to the makers mark and serial, so barely any polish is ever needed.

[Troglodyte]

Like Jock, I am a life-long user of pocket watches - not that I have anything against wrist-watches except they irritate my skin if worn for any length of time.

As for time-keeping, my watches all seem to be accurate to a couple of seconds a week - which is close enough, as time of day tends to be an approximate thing anyway. You might look at your watch and see it is just coming upto twenty-past - the need to know that it is 18 minutes, 53.7 seconds past is rare.

As for aesthetics, chains or straps are both functional and decorative - they secure the watch and give the option for keeping your latch-key, cigar-cutter, pipe-reamer, penknife, whatever, nice and handy at the other end. Plus, a watch-chain fills the void that is the front of a waistcoat - which always looks better with a chain across it.

Having a selection to choose from is a good thing, too. I find I might wake up one bright and sunny morning and think to myself 'Ah, yes. This feels like a gold half-hunter day...' Other days might be silver open-face skeleton, or...

I would like every day to be a gold hunter-cased perpetual calendar moon-phase minute repeater kind of day, but I've never been lucky enough on that score.

[Troglodyte]

I’ve had an old fob watch I inherited sitting in the draw for a number of years. It did work but stopped so I took it to the local watch dealer in Blairgowrie to see what they could do. There was an old gent there who was one of the last in the country that still services them.

He did a fine job and in doing so, I learnt a little more about it. Dated 1870, it was made in Auchterarder and so is local and a rarity to boot. It had a chunky non-silver chain on it but he had a lovely old one that he was prepared to sell me. Not quite as old, it is 1896 and every link and the bar are stamped with the Birmingham assay mark. I’m very pleased with the upgrade and look forward to an opportunity to wear it.

Alas, the gentleman recently retired and the shop has closed, so I got in just in time.

Pocket Watch - 1870a.jpg

I know who you mean.

He came into the museum a little while ago, and I spend an hour or two chatting about clocks and watches. I have a feeling his son has taken over from him.