Pocket Watches

Rube Burrows · Post by **Rube Burrows** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 6:46 pm

Didnt want to take away from the other thread so I thought I would make this one up. I have been collecting pocket watches for a little while now and Here are a few of mine.

Still in box

I have started cutting out a Pelican case for these so that they can all be stored together and placed in a shelf in the safe.

Hope you enjoy looking at them. If you have any questions I will do my best to answer them but its too much info to list every watch.

Feel free to post up your pocket watch pics.

These are a bunch of what I have. I have 4 at the watchmaker right now including my most beloved watch which was my great grandfather's watch and then my grandfather's watch....and now mine. I will post pics of that Illinois 23 Jewel RR watch when I get it back.

kimwcook · Post by **kimwcook** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 7:01 pm

Very, very nice, Rube. I love things with old world charm and for some reason watches are one of those. But, man have they gotten spendy with the cost of precious metals going up.

Pitchy · Post by **Pitchy** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 7:01 pm

Wow those are nice

thanks for sharing.

Rube Burrows · Post by **Rube Burrows** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 7:26 pm

kimwcook wrote:Very, very nice, Rube. I love things with old world charm and for some reason watches are one of those. But, man have they gotten spendy with the cost of precious metals going up.

Yes, they sure are neat. It amazes me to think about someone having the smarts to make all those little parts work together and actually keep time.

Even more impressive is the watches that are old enough where the watchmaker had to hand forge each and every part....no electricity or anything like that. AMAZING.

Rube Burrows · Post by **Rube Burrows** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 7:26 pm

Pitchy wrote:Wow those are nice thanks for sharing.

You're quite welcome.

rangerider7 · Post by **rangerider7** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 8:12 pm

NICE!!!!!

Topside · Post by **Topside** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 8:57 pm

Hey Rube that's a fine collection.
I don't collect'em but this one that belonged to my Dad I hold dear.

T.

Post by **Ysabel Kid** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 8:57 pm

Very nice! I have my grandfather's old pocket watch. It is not in working order, though looks to be in relatively nice condition. I need to get it repaired someday.

Udy · Post by **Udy** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 9:07 pm

Very cool!
I absolutly love the craftsmanship in pocket watches.
I have my Great grandfathers 21 Jewel Bunn Special in a white Gold case with a pearl white face and blue hands. He told me he won it in a poker game when he was a youngin. Works, but looses time over the corse of a few days and have to reset it. It would be a fun hobby to get into collecting, but about as expensive as collecting guns. Maybe I get pics when I get time and post them.

JerryB · Post by **JerryB** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 10:32 pm

Rube, you have a beautiful pocket watch collection. I know you are proud of them, thans for showing us.

Blaine · Post by **Blaine** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 11:02 pm

Thanks for sharing.

madman4570 · Post by **madman4570** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 11:06 pm

Wow! Very nice indeed

jkbrea · Post by **jkbrea** » Tue Jun 28, 2011 11:25 pm

Rube, Very beautiful pieces.
I just receivd a pocket watch from my wife's father who passed away. I don't have a clue about it. It looks like it's silver. It says Armstrong/Vancouver. It works greats. Can't find pout anything about it though.

Always admired them.

RIHMFIRE · Post by **RIHMFIRE** » Wed Jun 29, 2011 7:41 am

That is a very nice collection...

Rube Burrows · Post by **Rube Burrows** » Wed Jun 29, 2011 8:20 am

Topshelf......very nice looking Hamilton. Know anything about it?

Rube Burrows · Post by **Rube Burrows** » Wed Jun 29, 2011 8:21 am

jkbrea wrote:Rube, Very beautiful pieces.
I just receivd a pocket watch from my wife's father who passed away. I don't have a clue about it. It looks like it's silver. It says Armstrong/Vancouver. It works greats. Can't find pout anything about it though.

Always admired them.

I personally have never heard of one that says Armstrong/Vancouver.....does it say that on the face?

Sometimes when a company bought enough watches the maker would put their names on the front but on the movements you can usually find the maker name. Have you had the watch open?

AJMD429 · Post by **AJMD429** » Wed Jun 29, 2011 9:15 am

Fascinating. Thanks for posting.

crs · Post by **crs** » Wed Jun 29, 2011 9:42 am

Very nice collection. Thanks for sharing.
I have a friend here in dallas that retired recently from his engineering job and repairing old pocket watches is one of his hobbies. Shooting and stock making are his other two and he has become very good with the latter.

rjohns94 · Post by **rjohns94** » Wed Jun 29, 2011 9:50 am

Thanks, I have a few, though not of your quality. Really appreciate that collection. thanks again.

bdhold · Post by **bdhold** » Wed Jun 29, 2011 10:52 am

I love it. Have to say I love the art deco Hamilton best.

I collect wristwatches, and here are my favorites

I was using the telemetre on the chrono one day to time the lightning/thunder delay for my daughter, and tell her how far away the lightning was, and she thought that was the coolest thing ever.
One thing I've noticed that is a shame. Russian jewelers are taking pre-WWI pocket watches and turning them into wristwatches to sell on ebay

My Korean jeweler likes to see me coming in for watch work - part of it is he enjoys the watches, too - and he gives me very good prices.

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Wed Jun 29, 2011 5:15 pm

Rube,
Super cool. Those ones you have that were made in lancaster,Pa. is only a stones throw from me.

I only have one. Its an Elgin that is heavily engraved (can't see from older photo). My grandfather bought it upon his arrival here from Sicily in 1912.----------Sixgun

Dave James · Post by **Dave James** » Wed Jun 29, 2011 5:26 pm

Don't know if you know these sites but they are good on pocket watches
http://www.farfo.com/index.html
http://www.girards.com/

Rube Burrows · Post by **Rube Burrows** » Wed Jun 29, 2011 6:48 pm

bulldog1935, that Omega is really nice....well both are but I like the Omega. I was looking at a pocket watch the other day from a company I had never heard of.....turns out it was a Mobile, AL jewelery store who obviously bought a ton from Omega because they put the jewelery store's name on the face and on the back. Upon CLOSE inspection of the insides....it was an Omega movement. I have to believe its a pretty rare watch. I wanted to get it but it was a little out of my price range at the time. I told the owner to contact the store in Mobile because they are actually still in business and may be interested in owning it.

Sixgun.....that is a very pretty watch you have there. Its awesome to know a history on a watch. One of the things I love the most about collecting them is when they have a detailed service log inscribed in the case OR......if they have something personal inscribed in the case like the Elgin I posted inscribed from the Parents to the Son and dated 1904. To think that in 1904 someone received that watch and it was their pride and joy......and now over 100 years later, I own it. Little ole me.

pdentrem · Post by **pdentrem** » Wed Jun 29, 2011 8:26 pm

I was luck to get both my grandfather's watches.

Sixgun · Post by **Sixgun** » Wed Jun 29, 2011 8:28 pm

Rube Burrows wrote:Sixgun..if they have something personal inscribed in the case like the Elgin I posted inscribed from the Parents to the Son and dated 1904. To think that in 1904 someone received that watch and it was their pride and joy......and now over 100 years later, I own it. Little ole me.

Rube,
I have often thought of that. (personal inscriptions) What is sad is that why in the heck don't these things stay in a family! Sure, its cool that you have some but it really goes to show you that after a grandson/granddaughter kicks the bucket, its a "free for all" for the personal items and "money talks" on these things. It gets worse with each generation.

I have personally handled many (if not a hundred or more) Civil War Colts that were inscribed to Captains, Colonels, and even Generals. It all makes you wonder why any of these guns ever hit the market.

Sad.............enjoy life because your heirs just want to play with your sweat.

-----------Sixgun

bdhold · Post by **bdhold** » Wed Jun 29, 2011 8:28 pm

cigar smokers like Cuervo y Sobrinos, which was an importer and high-grade department store in Havana that re-branded watches (pretty much all grades).
http://cgi.ebay.com/ANTIQUE-CUERVO-Y-SO ... 0422950003

Rube, my Omega has the 321 chronograph movement (Lemania 2310), which is the one that made them famous.
It's very accurate, but so is the Zodiac. My autos include more Zodiac and a Tissot Seastar (another Omega-Lemania).

Rube Burrows · Post by **Rube Burrows** » Wed Jun 29, 2011 9:08 pm

Sixgun, I think you are spot on sir. I was always one of those kids who loved history and liked old things....was and am also one of those guys who wishes things would not change so much.....even if some are for the better.

I think some of the inscribed things hit the market because people get in tights and need money, the heirs just simply dont care about the old "junk" and would rather have a little cash which will be gone in a few days anyways.....or as is the case with some of these old watches......they are inscribed on the inside of the watch and the person who is a generation or more removed does not know where the watch came from and does not care enough to figure out how to open it up and therefore the words inscribed in the watch go unseen.

All of the above is still a sad deal.

Bulldog, I dont know how to read those chrono watches. I have never had one......maybe its time I look into getting one. They seem to be interesting enough. I have only been collecting the Pocket watches for about 6 months but in that 6 months I have really bought up some watches.

I love buying the broken watches and letting my watchmaker bring them back to life. I hate to see a watch broken and doomed. Those watches were at one time someone's pride and joy and today so many people just cast them away.

Udy · Post by **Udy** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 6:37 pm

Great Grandfathers watch.
Illinois 60hr. 21Jewel Bunn Special

Rube Burrows · Post by **Rube Burrows** » Thu Jun 30, 2011 9:00 pm

Very nice Bunn Special. My grandfathers 23j Bunn Special should be finished this week. I will be sure to show some pictures of it.

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Fri Jul 01, 2011 9:06 pm

I have two, an early '30s Elgin (IIRC) and an older one in a smaller case. The smaller one is one that my dad loaned some money against after he and a guy from his home town finished boot camp during WWII. The guy wanted to go home... my dad never saw the guy again... and searched after the war and even more recently to try to return the watch to the guy's family... to no avail. It's inscribed, so if you ain't him or a descendant, don't bother tryin' to claim it!

Everyday watch:

pdentrem · Post by **pdentrem** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 1:50 pm

In going through granddads stuff, I came across a watch key but no watch to match. No marks other than the number 7. It belongs in a good home, any ideas of where to list it?

Rube Burrows · Post by **Rube Burrows** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 1:54 pm

pdentrem wrote:In going through granddads stuff, I came across a watch key but no watch to match. No marks other than the number 7. It belongs in a good home, any ideas of where to list it?

Ebay would be my first guess. There are some pocket watch forums. Some keys can be up there in price. Might be worth it to you if you are getting rid of it to check out

http://forums.watchuseek.com/f11/

mack · Post by **mack** » Sat Oct 29, 2011 3:59 pm

Nice collection Rube! Especially the Walthams. My grandfather was a master watchmaker and engraver at Waltham. If you ever come across one that is marked "GM" on the works or inside case, it is one he reset or repaired for the factory.

Old Ironsights · Post by **Old Ironsights** » Sun Oct 30, 2011 6:33 pm

Pretty.

I was "into" Pocket Watches in my Teen Years, but never followed through.

Still don't wear a "regular" watch except on Sundays or for Interviews though...

pwl44m · Post by **pwl44m** » Sun Oct 30, 2011 6:47 pm

Saw 2 at a Flea today,one had a train on the lid and one on the face. all I could find was Swiss made. $40 another was an open face Elgin 20 bucks. Heres where U can get into trouble, not knowing what U r looking at. Sure there r pricey Pocket Watches but knowing which is the ticket. These might have been collectors and they could very well have been repros. I stuck with the Gun stuff.
Perry

1894c · Post by **1894c** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 1:20 am

this is absolutely a horrible post--the worst :) i can't believe that the stuff you guys like i like--sure glad i found this forum
by the way i really like your pocket-watch display--nuts...

Cimarron · Post by **Cimarron** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 6:47 am

Ahh, another area of things to collect

I don't have a lot of them but do concentrate on railroad grade watches. Have a few Hamilton, Illinois, Whatham and Elgin. The trouble today is finding a good person to work on them. I had a good friend who passed away a couple of years ago that kept mine in shape. I found a very good young man in Stillwater that I now use.

Griff · Post by **Griff** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 6:50 am

Cimarron wrote:I found a very good young man in Stillwater that I now use.

You may need to share that specific information, the guy I use in Texarkana ain't gettin' any younger!

kimwcook · Post by **kimwcook** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 8:45 am

Griff wrote:You may need to share that specific information, the guy I use in Texarkana ain't gettin' any younger!

Hey, I resemble that remark. Aren't we all.

Rube Burrows · Post by **Rube Burrows** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 10:09 am

mack wrote:Nice collection Rube! Especially the Walthams. My grandfather was a master watchmaker and engraver at Waltham. If you ever come across one that is marked "GM" on the works or inside case, it is one he reset or repaired for the factory.

Pretty neat. I will have to go back and check my watches. May have something he worked on.

moodyholler · Post by **moodyholler** » Mon Oct 31, 2011 7:06 pm

My pocket watch is a BW Raymond 21 jewel 8 position in a Stainless case from 1931. I have the box and price tag. Will get good pics and post in the next few days. Always wanted a Hamilton 992B. moodyholler