Pocket watch.

[Wayne Smith]

I now have two of the cheap Chinese windup watches to wear until I find a case for my grandfather's watch. Stauer has one pocket watch on their website, I think it is a windup but I can't remember specifically.

[Recluse]

I have a really nice Citizen watch my wife bought me for my birthday in 1996, but the battery runs down once a year or so and I keep forgetting to replace it.

I inherited my grandfather's pocket watch that doesn't need a battery and I wear the other watch in the picture on various occasions as it doesn't need a battery either. It's a nice watch and in a bad situation such as no power for a long time, it'll get the job done. It's also pretty rugged and durable--still overpriced, however. But the older I get, the less I find that I give a hoot what time it is.



I've also found that a cheap $25 watch will keep just as good of time as any other of my more expensive watches--and if I break one or lose one or they just up and die, I'm not too upset about it.

[Bad Water Bill]

Well I just DUG up the ELGIN pocket watch I bought in 1962 USED from a European watch maker. Unfortunately the GLASS crystal is cracked. Also It is in need of a good cleaning after all of these years.

My F.I.L from Germany gave me one of his AND the chain so it is also hiding around here somewhere. I am sure it will surface when I move one of these days.

[cloakndagger]

Has anyone ever seen an old gm&o (gulf, mobile and ohio) fob? Ive got an illinois central fob on my westclox conductor but the gm&o was the original line that ran by our house. Evilbay doesnt turn up much of their stuff... we still use pocketwatches on the farm because wristwatches are a snag hazard around machinery.

[Digger]

I truly forget where this one came from, unfortunately it is battery powered , it is like a pocket watch but with out the lid/closing side , open face and the leather pouch has a belt loop on it .
Kind of fancy tho .... maybe something to wear at a "cast boolit" shoot !
It does fit in with our crowd here ...
Attachment 63754Attachment 63756

[DCM]

I bought a couple of those new scrap pocket watches as I cannot wear a wrist watch for many reasons and don't want to destroy my dads beautiful pocket watch at work.
Like many thing new they are JUNK compared to the old, I went through 2 in short order then gave up.
Now unless I am dressed to the 9s (or 357s) I have gone modern and just check my phone.

[reloader28]

I have one somewhere that unfortunately uses a battery. Have to see if I can find it.
I'd like to find one thats a wind up.

[Kull]

I had a Hamilton railroad watch for a few years. Not really knowing what I had I ended up giving it to a good friend as a present.

Since then I've tried a few inexpensive pocket watches and there's nothing quite as cheap.....as a cheap watch. I don't buy wrist watches anymore. Inevitably I end up breaking them.

[DonOhio39]

I've got one of my great uncles pocket watches, it's a Hampden "Menlo Park" and I reserve it for formal occaisions.
For everyday wear, I have a Swiss Army pocket watch. It's battery powered but goes 7 yrs or better between changes, keeps VERY good time and looks pretty good IMO. They're not made anymore so you'd have get one off eBay, about 50-60 bucks last time I looked.

Don in Ohio

[bob208]

i have always had a pocket watch. can not wear a wrist watch. it stops. my brother is the same way. my grandfather was like that too. now i have the cell phone.

[jcwit]

I don't like a battery powered watch. The one I have on my wrist right now is an automatic, and I wouldn't mind a good pocket watch if it was a wined up. No one sells those anymore though. Everything has to be high tech and run off of a stupid battery, that in the event of an economic or political collapse could not be replaced. In a survival course I was once sent to, one of the better tools to have with you is a wined up, or automatic watch, because with minimal care they keep working, and batteries die.

Best wishes,

Joe

And your vehicle has a crank in the front, NO?

[jcwit]

There's some of the old wind-ups, U.S.A. made pocket watches available on the Bay that are working and look to be in nice shape for less than $100.00 bucks.

[jeepyj]

As a kid I always thought my grandfather's Waltham was like him "larger than life" to me. its funny how sometimes the memories from so long ago seem like yesterday. I have given up on a time piece many years ago as a carpenter they never lasted to long.
My brother-in-law had sign in his printing shop where I worked as a kid that I always remember though..
"The man who watches the clock will always be one of the hands"
Jeepyj

[cajun shooter]

I have a cell phone but I always leave the durn thing in my truck. I have people all the time tell me that they tried calling me. Mine has the time, camera, calender and so on but I just can't bring myself to walking around in public and talking so that every one is in on your call. Just seems rude.
I will give you an example of how I'm not ready for this time that I live in. My wife and I had a very nice 33 ft travel trailer on the Gulf of Mexico with our 23 ft saltwater boat just 8 ft away.
We went out one day and I hooked two 40 lb Red Fish, one after the other. This size Red Fish is not that good as table fare but is very good for repopulating the species. On bass gear that I was using they will strip the reel empty in short time and make the fight last at least 20 or more minutes.
I caught and released both fish after reviving them to make sure they were alright. I told my wife it was a shame that we left the camera at the camp as these two 41 inch trophies would be fun to show how our trip was.
When we returned to camp and I told my first neighbor about that morning and that we had left the camera at camp. His question to me was David did y'all have your cell phones with you? I looked at my wife and had a very long hard laugh as we not only had a phone but two of them as we know about being stuck offshore. My luck is funny at times David

[KCSO]

My Grandfather would never wear a wrist watch because they were the mark of a sissy. Prior to WWI MEN wore pocket watches and other folks wore wrist watches. In the war it was too hard to carry your rifle or handgun and work a pocket watch for coordinated attacks so wrist watches were used and the men coming home were use to them just like they picked up bolt guns. Since I spent a lot of time with my grandfather i took to a pocket watch and carried one for years. When i had to carry a pager I put it on a watch chanin and IT went in the watch pocket space. Now i am back to the pocket watch and I dig in the drawer for the one I want to carry. I have several old Elgins and Walthhams and a key wind and a watch that winds like a Baby Ben alarm clock. If you intand to use one for daily carry don't get a hunting case as they leak at the hinges and need service more often than a closed case. in fact no Railroad watch was ever a hunting case.

[StrawHat]

Here is a picture of my everyday watch with my BBQ revolver.



The watch is made by the National Watch Company in 1870 and is key wound and key set. A 30 hour movement it requires winding each morning, usually as I drink my coffee. NWC eventually became the Elgin National Watch Company and from that, the Elgin Watch Company. It is a big watch, size 18 and built with 7 jewels. Not a railroad watch, those came around about 1893, it is only accurate to 1 or 2 minutes a week. I reset it each Sunday after I wind the tall clocks.

Crystals and parts are still available for a lot of these old watches. The problem is finding folks who know how to work on them.

[WILCO]

Here is a picture of my everyday watch with my BBQ revolver.



The watch is made by the National Watch Company in 1870 and is key wound and key set. A 30 hour movement it requires winding each morning, usually as I drink my coffee. NWC eventually became the Elgin National Watch Company and from that, the Elgin Watch Company. It is a big watch, size 18 and built with 7 jewels. Not a railroad watch, those came around about 1893, it is only accurate to 1 or 2 minutes a week. I reset it each Sunday after I wind the tall clocks.

Crystals and parts are still available for a lot of these old watches. The problem is finding folks who know how to work on them.

What a treasure!!!! Thanks for posting the picture.

[alamogunr]

My dad worked for the old Illinois Central RR and carried a pocket watch. IIRC it was an Elgin. My younger brother got it when he passed away. That was over 30 years ago. I think he displays it in a glass bell. If it is never wound, it probably won't run now.

Watches are not my thing. I would like to have one of the non-battery automatics but I don't want it bad enough to pay for it. I have been pleased to see that digital watches have gone out of favor in the last few years.

[WILCO]

Bump to the top!

[scarry scarney]

I have two pocket watches in need of repair. Anyone know of a good place to have them checked and repaired? Would prefer local (Sacramento Ca area), but would send out. Thanks