Pocket Watches were overtaken by wristwatches in popularity after World War I, although they do seem to be making a comeback! It was a status symbol in the old days before the advent of wristwatches your average Joe could not afford a Pocket-Watch. One thing that might have had a direct bearing on the down-fall of popularity of these marvelous time pieces was that they were being given away for retirement. Thus people associated them with retirement which is associated with old age or obsolescence.

Vintage pocket watches are actually a sound investment, if youre a knowledgeable or savvy buyer. What I have always found fascinating about the pocket watch is the absolute beauty and uniqueness of them. My father still swears by them and has no use for any other sort of time piece. Todays pocket time-pieces are well made and you can find an absolute plethora of design options with chronographically enhanced features. These types of watches are quite unique and using them does enable you to make a statement of personal expression. These modern day Pocket-Watches are simply beautiful and are a marvelous conversation peace. They may also break a nasty habit of staring at your wrist.

The pocket watch was invented by Peter Henlein of Nuremberg Germany in 1510. The first pocket style watches were in fact carried in your hand as they were made of iron. They would have been quite the anchor if carried in your pocket. To make the watch a bit more appealing they started using different materials in order to make them more light and elegant, then a rope was attached and they were hung about the neck. Eventually the watches got a bit lighter and migrated down to pockets. The display is traditionally analog. Pocket watches generally have a chain to be secured to a belt loop (the chain or ornaments on it being know as fobs), as well as a hinged cover to protect the face of the watch. Such covers are not always present. Also common are fasteners designed to be put through a buttonhole and worn is a jacket or waistcoat, this sort being frequently associated with and named after train conductors.

Men Pocket-watches are commonly regarded as being one of two types: the lepine or the savonette. In a strict technical sense, the lepine is a watch whose winding stem is in line with the seconds-marking dial found on the face. The savonette has winding stem perpendicular to the orientation of the seconds dial on the face of the watch.

A lepine is traditionally an open-faced watch with a large, scratch resistant crystal covering the face. A savonette is commonly found in a hunter or consular case, with a protective lid hinged over the face. A consular case is further differentiated by the fact the back case is also hinged so that the watch movement can be easily separated from both halves of its protective cover.

Modern manufacturers of pocket watches, especially those watches with a quartz movement, are not bound by tradition when regarding the orientation of movements (lepine or savonette) and the cases they are inserted into (open-faced or hunter). It is possible today to find watches with lepine orientation in a closed faced hunter case, and vice versa.

It never hurts to be well-informed in regards to Pocket Watches. I trust this has cleared the air somewhat!

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