Pocketwatches

[Trenchfriend]

Funny:
I have nearly the same model - also my grandpa's pocket watch - also still works - I'm wearing it right now

Mine has a stronger drift forward, when in the jeans pocket. When laying flat on the desk, there's very less drift.

 

[Mean Eyed Matt]

Mine doesn't run super accurate anymore:
It has a drift forward of about five minutes in 12 hours
- whether it's lying or in my pocket.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Man, a forward drift of just 47 seconds after four days (!) is very very good for a cheap, mechanical 20s movement! I think, the ruhla was very less used by my grandparents.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Yep, when fully wound, it drifts backwards two seconds per hour!

 

[viclip]

In terms of perspective:

- vintage American Rail Road Grade pocket watches were required to keep time within 30 seconds per week

- a modern Swiss "chronometer" is typically required to maintain time between the range of -4 and +6 seconds per day

American RRG & certified Swiss chronometers were/are expensive then & now. They were of course constructed in a manner such that their timekeeping could be fully adjusted, & they were designed to be readily maintained & repaired.

 

[Trenchfriend]

My ruhla GDR-era pocketwatch ist still running fine, I tell you! Always a joy to wind up.

 

[Artifex]

I don't know much about this watch, other than that it belonged to one of my ancestors. It's not very good! In fact, it has a grand total of no (0) jewels, and the stem has been lost. The case is blacked steel, and the dial is rust-stained paper. When I got it, it wouldn't go at all.

Despite that, I have had a lot of fun stripping it down, cleaning and reassembling the movement. With a little oil and regulation, it now gains only twenty minutes per day!

Has anyone else had a go at restoring junk watches? They may be useless, but what better way to learn the skills required to maintain the real beauties?

 

[Trenchfriend]

Fun (quartz)!

 

[milandro]

I became recently came aware of pocket watch conversions , they are really special things!

Does anyone know if there are any specialists in Europe?

 

[FOXTROT LAMONT]

Lovely, though there is something lost I dare this. A pocket timepiece, fob, chain with sartorial garb is match, set style.

 

[milandro]

I think these are a very nice possibility to repurpose watches that would be otherwise kept in a closet but professional conversions are so expensive that still wouldn't be sensible unless the pocket watch repurposed wasn't a very expensive one ( and few are).

A reasonable solution may be this for under €200

 

[The one from the North]

Picked this one from a second hand store. Nothing fancy but keeps time and didn't cost a fortune. Haven't looked in to it yet, according to seller from the 50's? The fob belonged to my father.

 

[viclip]

Nice daily carry from a well-known Swiss watch manufacturer.

I hope you have it serviced before putting it into daily sevice.

It may be possible to better date the watch if you provided a photo of the movement esp. if there is a serial number present. Collectors may be able to correlate any such SN with the date of manufacture; actually the movement itself may provide the answer if it was known to be used between so-and-so years.

 

[The one from the North]

Nice daily carry from a well-known Swiss watch manufacturer.

I hope you have it serviced before putting it into daily sevice.

It may be possible to better date the watch if you provided a photo of the movement esp. if there is a serial number present. Collectors may be able to correlate any such SN with the date of manufacture; actually the movement itself may provide the answer if it was known to be used between so-and-so years.

Thank's I'll look into it. Or better yet, my brother is a watchmaker, I'll let him look into it!

 

[Alex Oviatt]

Lovely watches! I have several (dozen) the oldest being the verge fusee movement type, all the way to current. I rarely wear them but I do alternate watches to hang in this silver cobra watch stand where I can see them:

It is French, silvered bronze set on a marble base. Currently up for display is this silver case Swiss open face watch (Moulinie Genève) with a sweep at six and a nice machine turned face with gold Roman numerals. Keeps very good time!

Someone once suggested using the watch stand as an ashtray. Didn't happen.

 

[wayose]

Here's some pictures of my pocketwatches.

This is a 17 Jewel Hamilton 974 from 1928. It is a 16 size, and has a 10k gold filled case. It keeps excellent time.

Here's pictures of the 23 Jewel model 922 Hamilton made in 1931. It's just *slightly* smaller than the 974 in the above pictures. The inscription on the back of the case says "Presented to Charles Huff 4-3-1931 By WM. Brown Co. For 20 YRS Faithful Service" The case is 14k white gold filled.

Side by side with the 974.

Spotify Premium APK 2025
Case opened.

It’s great to see such a beautiful collection of Hamilton pocket watches! Both the 17 Jewel Hamilton 974 from 1928 and the 23 Jewel model 922 from 1931 have fantastic history and craftsmanship. The 974’s 10k gold-filled case and accurate timekeeping are impressive. The 922 with the 14k white gold-filled case and the engraving adds a personal touch, showing it was a cherished gift for Charles Huff. The side-by-side comparison gives a good sense of their subtle size difference.

 

[Trenchfriend]

Restarted my ruhla cheap pocketwatch, right now. Doesn't start by itself, but with a little moving in your hands it does.

Remember, the cheap movement ist the ultra-basic mass production movement from 1923!