Lawrence Photographic

   

 

The Pocket Watch

The pocket watch apparently was first mentioned in 1462 in a letter from the Italian clockmaker Bartholomew Manfredi to the Marchese di Mantova Federico Gonzaga when he offered him one.

Normally worn with a waistcoat and secured by an Albert chain via its T bar placed through a button hole or a specialised slit stitched into the cloth, the pocket watch is making a comeback. Of course, 'Peaky Blinders' the television series, played a large part in its re-establishment -

I was given a pocket watch as a birthday present on my 50th birthday but it was only when I turned 70 years old, that I was drawn to wear it. It became part of my desire to become more retro and fortunately my pocket watch was a 'Swiss Made' mechanical, wind up type.

I have taken to the subtle 'Victorian' and 'Edwardian' look. The shawl 'Victorian' waistcoat shown in the picture is ideal for formal occasions but can be worn casually with an open neck penny round shirt, and with a tie, or a scrunchy tie and even with an Ascot tied inside the shirt. For me, the wing swept white shirt and tied cravat, as shown in the picture, is a step too far and best kept for weddings and such formal events.

The majority of my waistcoats are black or charcoal and in moleskin or wool mix. I like high collars but I also have lower cut neck designs and they all have pockets for my pocket watch. I purchase my waistcoats, ties, and scrunchy ties from Tom Sawyer who make them to my size and the service is first class. Hundreds of 'Ascots' can be found on Amazon and please check out how to tie a Ascot and visit the Gentleman's Gazette.

For those of an awkward size, a supplier who is worth a visit is Savile Row & Company who not only supply suits, they also supply 'made to measure' shirts. Another great company is Jean Yves who supply all types of white shirts, the penny rounds, the wing swept and waistcoats as well as suits, and you can purchase them through Amazon.

For the slimmer guys, there is Jack Martin who does a mean range of 'Peaky Blinder' striped shirts and waistcoats, which are well worth a look. Unfortunately, the Jack Martin Peaky Blinder shirts do not accept cufflinks. Jack Martin has a Peaky Blinder Blog online that helps explain the style and with links to the products.

I think to go the whole hog with the Victorian look is probably a step too far but certainly a nice waistcoat with a conservative style shirt and tie is good enough. Black and grey, silver and reds are ideal colour matches, especially dark blood red which splashes a contrast on the black and grey without going over the top.

 Purchasing boots are not a problem as many high street stores offer boots that will fit the Victorian Style. Doc Martens are a firm favourite with a great choice of boots.

The Victorians wore hats to match the class of folk they represented, but these days you can wear almost any style, especially the flat caps and fishermen's hats in various styles, black bowlers, the trilby, the fedora and the Peaky Blinders favourite, the newsboy hat. Check out Village Hats for perhaps the largest choice of hats in the UK.

I like to wear a 3/4 length coat over my waistcoat, which is a black high funnel neck trench coat made of moleskin and of course my black trousers and black boots. My black moleskin waistcoat can be worn under a suit or casual jacket and it looks cool, especially with my Albert chain and watch.

 


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Full Hunter - Pocket Watch Examples


Last Updated 29th November 2019


 Of all the pocket watch styles, I like the 'Full Hunter' and its case comes in stainless steel, nickel plated brass, palladium (silver look), and chrome, silver, gold and rose gold plating. Cheaper models have cases coloured to look like silver or gold. You can also purchase sterling silver and true gold, rose gold and white gold models. The true gold models usually come in 9ct 14ct, or 18ct gold and they are invariably tinted with platinum, copper and silver elements to suit different tastes and colours in the design. These gold pocket watches all have small percentages of mixtures of metals in the gold to make them more hardwearing.

The full hunter was preferred due to its sturdiness and its ability to protect the watch glass display face and the inner workings during continual use. The name hunter comes from the riders in fox hunting who used the hunter pocket watch with one hand whilst holding the horses reins with the other. The watch is also known as a Savonnette which is the French word for a bar of soap (savon).

The 'full hunter' is a sold case with a front (flip open) solid lid that is flipped opened (spring driven on hinges) by pressing on the end of the winding crown to release a rim clip. When the front lid is opened, the glass fronted display is revealed. To close the front lid, you simply push in the crown and gently push back the front lid against the rim clip and release the crown to lock it. Never just press the lid back without first pressing in the crown to open the rim clip as the rim clip could wear out the front lid retaining section and the lid will not close and lock.

 There are collectors of pocket watches, some with serious dosh, who purchase antiques and even new models costing thousands of pounds and then there are collectors who are more price conscience and collect pocket watches like the Jean Pierre G102 CM Pocket Watch which is a version of the sterling silver Jean Pierre G152 but in a polished chrome full hunter case (as displayed below) with its 17 Jewel mechanical movement and a complimentary matching Albert chain. There is no mention in the advertising or on the face of the watch of a Swiss movement. It costs around £203.50. Please watch the Video and click on the image to visit the website -

One of the most expensive and collectable pocket watches that you can own is a brand new Patek Philippe 980G Pocket Watch (shown below) in a white gold casing which costs a cool £40,000 plus. It bears the 'Swiss' mark and the day you purchase it and walk out the shop, it will drop in value, especially if you attempt to sell it on and even back to the shop you bought it from. Its a bit like purchasing gold bullion or gold coins. However, in about 20 years, the watch should appreciate in value, provided you look after it.

The Tissot Savonnette 'Swiss Made' Mechanical is a beautiful 'manually wound' full hunter pocket watch that comes in several case designs. Some are made of brass palladium (a silver look) but with different design engravings. Others are brass with gold colour finishes whilst others are made of sterling silver. The more expensive 'mechanicals' are made of sterling silver with intricate engravings on the front lid and the rear of their sterling silver case. They all sport 17 Jewel 'Swiss Made' movements and these watches are very desirable.

The one in the image below has a sterling silver case and its Model No is T83.1.452.13. It comes with a clip on sterling chain, more suitable for attaching to trousers - its only downside in my opinion; otherwise a fabulous pocket watch that costs £750.00. Please click on the image to see the rear engravings -

 


 

Open Face Watches

 

 

 

 

Half Hunter Watches

 

 

Full Hunter Watches

 

 

Half Double Hunter Watches

 

 

Double Hunter Watches

 


 Railway Antique Pocket Watches

These styles of antique 'open face' pocket watches are collected and well sought after. Waltham, Hamilton and Ball Cleveland are firm favourites. The railway pocket watch came into being because the railway officials and workmen required an accurate and hardy, as well as easy to read, timepiece. It found its way into many different professions that also required the same time accuracy.

Antique pocket watches that are constructed out of gold hold their value and appreciate thanks mainly to the increasing value of gold but also their rarity and their workings that may contain more jewels to prevent wear and tear of moving parts. Of course when you value a gold watch you have to deduct any metal materials (usually a small %) that have been added to the gold to make the watch more hard wearing. Also, tinted elements, such as copper and silver should be taken into account.

Click on the pocket watch image below to see some examples -

A Video on Railroad Pocket Watches -

 

 

The Earliest Patek Philippe Pocket Watch

This stainless steel pocket watch was up for an online bidding auction (24th November 2019) and the bidding on that date had reached £23,370.00. It is the earliest known Patek model.

 


Antique Pocket Watches

Like the Railway antique pocket watches above, the antique full hunter is also well sought after. The full hunter was preferred due to its sturdiness and its ability to protect the watch glass display face and the inner workings during continual use. The name hunter comes from the riders in fox hunting who used the hunter pocket watch with one hand whilst holding the horses reins with the other. The watch is also known as a Savonnette which is the French word for a bar of soap (savon).

Many individuals just kept them in their trouser pocket and sometimes secured them to the belt or belt loop on the trousers by a chain. You can still get these styles of chains today. The Victorian upper classes wore their expensive sterling silver or sold gold pocket watches in their waistcoats and secured by single or double Albert chains made of sterling silver or solid gold to reflect their status.

Please click on the image below to view some antique full hunters -

 

Brand New Expensive Pocket Watches

Modern gold pocket watches invariably come in 18ct and 9ct gold which is relatively hard wearing. Of course the gold case pushes the price up as shown in the Jean Pierre Model 9G204 which sports a 9ct gold case with a 'Swiss Made' 17 Jewel mechanical movement and a white face with black Roman numerals.

It costs a modest £4,180.00 and is shown below -

 

 

Please click on the World History of Patek Philippe which is based in Geneva, Switzerland. Their watches are hand made in Switzerland and bear the 'Swiss' mark on their faces. They are very, very expensive (please see some examples below). The company has set about consolidating its position in complete in-house manufacturing by buying out its supplier affiliate companies.

Please see the video below -

 


For those who want to hark back to the railway Pocket Watch style, the brand new open face gold Patek Philippe Model No 973J certainly could fit the bill. It has a 'Swiss' mechanical movement with a white face and gold Arabic numerals.

It costs a modest £30,730.00 and is shown below -

 


This absolutely beautiful brand new Patek Philippe Model No 980J-010 'Double Hunter' pocket watch has an 18ct yellow gold case with two polished gold, full front and back covers. It has a 'Swiss' mechanical movement with a white face and black Roman numerals. The rear cover of the watch flips open to reveal an inner gold cover over the mechanical workings.

It costs a modest £37,770.00 and is shown below -

 


One of the most expensive and collectable pocket watches that you can own is a brand new Patek Philippe 980G Pocket Watch (shown below) in a white gold casing which costs a cool £40,000 plus.

It bears the 'Swiss' mark and the day you purchase it and walk out the shop, it will drop in value, especially if you attempt to sell it on and even back to the shop you bought it from. Its a bit like purchasing gold bullion or gold coins. However, in about 20 or perhaps 100 years, the watch should appreciate in value, provided you look after it.

Pocket Watch Videos

The following videos relate to wearing a pocket watch, antique pocket watches and the inner workings and assembly -

How to Wear a Pocket Watch

 

 

1904 English Smith & Son Tourbillion Pocket Watch

 

 

Antique Fusee Pocket Watch

 

 

Pocket Watch Movement & Music

 

 

Top Finds: 1914 Patek Philippe Pocket Watch

 

 

Inside Secrets: Pocket Watch from 1680

 

 

Antique Hamilton Pocket Watch

 

 

How to Assemble a Pocket Watch

 

 

Disclaimer:
My best endeavours were used in the research of the material, the images and the videos within this article but there is no guarantee of 100% accuracy.

My thanks to the following websites -

 

 

 

Pocket Watches & Albert Chains

 An explanation of the different types of pocket watches & Albert Chains -

Pocket Watch Casing Materials
Pocket watch casings come in stainless steel, nickel plated brass, palladium (silver look), and chrome, silver, gold and rose gold plating. Cheaper models have cases coloured to look like silver or gold. You can also purchase sterling silver and true gold, rose gold and white gold models. The true gold models usually come in 9ct 14ct, or 18ct gold and they are invariably tinted with platinum, copper and silver elements to suit different tastes and colours in the design. These gold pocket watches all have small percentages of mixtures of metals in the gold to make them more hardwearing.

Palladium is one of the world's rarest metals, that's high in quality and, relatively speaking, lower in price than other high-quality metals. With the increase in the price of gold and platinum, palladium is one of the best choices for those with a lower budget who don't want to sacrifice quality or beauty. The metal is similar to platinum in that it's hypo-allergenic and keeps well over time. It doesn't require plating or other metals for protection - it will naturally stay white without regular maintenance and care. While it's in the same group as platinum and looks very similar, it's much lighter than its sister; in fact, many are questioning whether it is becoming the new platinum. Palladium was officially recognized as a precious metal in January 2010, and it's even been said that palladium is rarer than gold. Some Tissot 'Swiss Made' mechanical pocket watches are constructed with palladium.


Movements
These include mechanical winding, quartz and 'Swiss Made' mechanical winding - in relation to this article, I will be covering mechanical winding and 'Swiss Made' or 'Swiss' mechanical windings, which are movements manufactured in Switzerland.

Skeleton
This is a term used to pocket watches that display their inner workings. These can be half skeleton (only a small section displayed) and full skeleton and the workings can be displayed through the front, the back or both. 

Open Face
This is a solid case with the full watch display protected by a glass front. Therefore it is important that great care is made not to scratch or damage the glass front when handling the watch.

Half Hunter
This is a solid case with a front (flip open) lid which has the watch display numerals on the front of the lid and a small open circular window in the lid that reveals the display hands when the lid is closed and in some skeleton watches, also the movement workings. When the front lid is flipped open, it reveals a protective glass front over the full watch display which also has display numerals on the face. The front lid is flipped opened (spring driven on hinges) by pressing on the end of the winding crown to release a rim clip. To close the front lid, you simply push in the crown and gently push back the front lid against the rim clip and release the crown to lock it. Never just press the lid back without first pressing in the crown to open the rim clip as the rim clip could wear out the front lid retaining section and the lid will not close and lock.

Full Hunter
This is a sold case with a front (flip open) solid lid that is flipped opened (spring driven on hinges) by pressing on the end of the winding crown to release a rim clip. When the front lid is opened, the glass fronted display is revealed. To close the front lid, you simply push in the crown and gently push back the front lid against the rim clip and release the crown to lock it. Never just press the lid back without first pressing in the crown to open the rim clip as the rim clip could wear out the front lid retaining section and the lid will not close and lock.

Half Double Hunter
This is a case with a front (flip open) lid that is flipped opened by pressing on the end of the winding crown to release a rim clip. Likewise, the back (flip open lid) is flipped opened by pressing on the end of the winding crown to release its rim clip. To close the front lid, you simply push in the crown and gently push back the front lid against the rim clip and release the crown to lock it. To close the back lid, you simply push in the crown and gently push back the front lid against the rim clip and release the crown to lock it. Both lids are hinged and spring operated. The front lid has the watch display numerals on the front of the lid and a small open circular window in the lid that reveals the display hands when the lid is closed and in some skeleton watches, also the movement workings. When the front lid is flipped open, it reveals a protective glass front over the full watch display which also has display numerals on the face. The back lid when opened will reveal the skeleton workings of the watch which in most cases has an inner protective glass shield. Never just press the lids back without first pressing in the crown to open the rim clips as the rim clips could wear out both lids retaining section and the lids will not close and lock.

Full Double Hunter
This is a case with a solid front (flip open) lid that is flipped opened by pressing on the end of the winding crown to release a rim clip. Likewise, the solid back (flip open lid) is flipped opened by pressing on the end of the winding crown to release its rim clip. To close the front lid, you simply push in the crown and gently push back the front lid against the rim clip and release the crown to lock it. To close the back lid, you simply push in the crown and gently push back the front lid against the rim clip and release the crown to lock it. Both lids are hinged and spring operated. The front lid and back lids are solid. When the front lid is flipped open, it reveals a protective glass front over the full watch display. The back lid when opened will reveal the skeleton workings of the watch which in most cases has an inner protective glass shield. Never just press the lids back without first pressing in the crown to open the rim clips as the rim clips could wear out both lids retaining section and the lids will not close and lock.

Single & Double Albert Chains
These chains are used to secure the watch to a waistcoat to prevent an accidental drop to the floor or losing it. The metal used might be an alloy or copper and coloured gold or silver. An ideal cost effective chain is one made of copper and plated chrome, silver or gold and for greater longevity and expense, some are covered in rolled gold. The ultimate chains are either made of sterling silver or gold.

The single Albert is a chain with a clip at one end to attach to the watch ring at the winder crown, a T bar at the other end of the chain that is placed through a waistcoat button hole or a vertical slit stitched between the buttons to secure the chain. In addition, some single Albert's also have a small length of chain, also attached to the T bar which hangs down about a couple of inches in front of the waistcoat with an attractive fob attached to the end. The watch is placed in the bottom right or left pocket of the waistcoat.

The double Albert is a two chain solution, one to attach to a watch and usually the other to house keys in the other pocket. In addition, some double Albert's also have a small length of chain, also attached to the T bar which hangs down about a couple of inches in front of the waistcoat with an attractive fob attached to the end.

Images of Sterling Silver Single & Double Albert Chains & Fob which can be purchased from Silver2Love. Please click on the images for a larger size -

 

 


 

Belt & Trouser Loop Chains
These chains are used for men who want to carry their pocket watch in their trouser pocket. The one on the left is for fitting to the belt and the one on the right is for clipping on a trouser belt loop. They come in various colours and metal materials, similar to the watches they are used with (for continuity).

These are images of these chains which can be purchased from Pocket Watch. Please click on the images for a larger size -

             


Pocket Watch Manufacturers & Suppliers

Albert Single & Double Chains & Fobs for Waistcoats

Thoughts on Pocket Watches

As an investment, I would rather own a pocket watch that has been manufactured in Switzerland and during my research, I discovered that watches which are manufactured or assembled in Switzerland can bear the insignia 'Swiss Made' on their watch faces. According to the Federal Act on the Protection of Trade Marks and Indications of Source, a watch may be designated "Swiss Made" when it is associated with, made in Switzerland. A watch is considered Swiss if its movement is Swiss, or rather, if the movement has been assembled in the Swiss region, its final inspection occurred in Switzerland, and at least 60% of manufacturing costs are domestic  Besides the 'Swiss made' requirements, watches may carry the Swiss movement ("Swiss Movt") marker if at least half of the assembled parts are of Swiss manufacture. In addition to "Swiss Made" and "Swiss Movt", under Swiss law, watches may carry the words "Suisse", "produit suisse", "fabriqué en Suisse", "qualité suisse" or simply the English translation, "Swiss".
During my research on pocket watches I discovered that not every company that sports a Swiss identity is in actual fact a Swiss manufacturing company. Many UK based companies purchase the Swiss encased finished movements from Swiss companies based in Switzerland and assemble them in watch cases, here in the UK. Further more, some companies that started out in the 1800s in Switzerland are actually now based in the UK and many, are owned by the Chinese and some, if not all of their products, are manufactured and assembled in China or Japan.

The Greenwich Pocket Watch Company: "We are a British company striving to offer the best service. we are committed to offering a huge variety of pocket watches in stock whilst always looking for new and different designs. We specialise in pocket watches and related products so we can always give advice and help when needed. Our website is our window to you so we are always improving our service and keeping standards very high, ensuring that our website is easy to navigate with clear concise information and excellent graphics." This company promotes and sell all brands of pocket watches from their website, including Rotary, Jean Pierre, Mount Royal, Woodford, Rapport and J&T Windmills.

The Greenwich contact details point to an email and main address of Edmonds the Jewellers based in Coventry. 2017 signifies the beginning of Edmonds Jewellers Limited, a firm registered at 141 Daventry Road, Cheylesmore, Coventry. This means it's been 2 years (as off 26/11/19) since Edmonds Jewellers has been in the UK, as it was registered on 18/8/17.

The Greenwich Buckingham Double Hunter (Skeleton) is a pocket watch with a sterling silver case, hand wound 17 Jewel mechanical movement, and is supplied with a chain. There is no mention in the advertising or on the face of the watch of a Swiss movement. It costs around £899.00. Please click on the image below for a full description -

 

 

 Jean Pierre and Mount Royal both have London addresses and their websites and method of payment are exclusively owned by Bond Hilton Ltd a company based in London. Watch and clock makers Woodford was established in Birmingham’s famous jewellery quarter in 1860 and its website and method of payment are also exclusively owned by Bond Hilton Ltd. Woodford lists a Cornwall contact address under the name of Bond Hilton Ltd.

Jean Pierre: Was established in 1932 in the world famous watch making metropolis of Bienne in Switzerland. These days located in the City of London, we continue to design, develop and manufacture classic watches, timepieces and elegant men's gifts for discerning clients worldwide.

 A nice sterling silver pocket watch is the Jean Pierre G152 in a full hunter case with a 17 Jewel mechanical movement and polished back, along with a complimentary matching single sterling silver Albert chain. There is no mention in the advertising or on the face of the watch of a Swiss movement. It costs around £747.00. Please watch the Video and click on the image below to expand the view -

 

Woodford was established in Birmingham’s famous jewellery quarter in 1860 and its website and method of payment are exclusively owned by Bond Hilton Ltd. Woodford lists a Cornwall contact address under the name of Bond Hilton Ltd.

A nice chrome plated pocket watch is the Woodford Model W1061 in a full hunter case with a 17 Jewel 'Swiss Made' mechanical movement and polished back, along with a complimentary matching belt loop chain. It costs around £435.00. Please click on the image below to expand the view -

 

Rapport Mission Statement: "For more than 115 years the Rapport story has followed its philosophy laid down by its founder, Maurice A. Rapport of innovation, quality and service. Over a century later, in this fast changing world, Rapport has stayed true to these principles, maintaining its foundations, continuing to establish new standards in the quality and craftsmanship of its products to our customers across the globe."

Rapport's head office is based in Cardiff, Wales, with other offices in London, Hong Kong, North America and New York. The majority of their pocket watches all bear a London mark with no mention of being Swiss made on the faces. I was given a Rapport gold plated mechanically wound 'full hunter' pocket watch back in 1998 which bears a 'Swiss Made' insignia on the bottom of the white face and the name Rapport on the top/middle of the face with no mention of London. Its a beautiful looking watch with Roman numerals and with intricate engravings on the front lid and rear.

The Rapport Rose Gold Plated Double Hunter Model PW12 is one of their more expensive models with a mechanical 17 Jewel movement. There is no mention in the advertising or on the face of the watch of a Swiss movement. The pocket watch costs £420.00 and is displayed below -

 

From the CHINESE CITYCHAMP Website: "CityChamp Watch & Jewellery Group Ltd is committed to providing products that are highly respected for their quality and widely recognised." It owns renowned global watch brands including “Corum,” “Eterna,” “Rotary,” “Dreyfuss & Co” and “J&T Windmills.” The Group also owns two famous watch brands “Rossini” and “EBOHR” in Mainland China, with each of the Chinese brands boasting a strong network of more than 2,000 [point of sales / sales outlets].

Rotary: In 1940 Rotary became the official watch supplier for the British Army. Coinciding as this did with the Second World War and the drafting of huge numbers into the army, the move put a Rotary watch in almost every household in Britain, leaving a lasting impression of the brand in the UK. More recently, Rotary Watches was elected as one of the UK's "superbrands" in 2006 and has retained its place in successive years. The “winged wheel” Rotary logo was first introduced in 1925 and has since undergone only minor changes in appearance. In addition to its traditional brand, the company also produces wrist watches under the more exclusive Dreyfuss name. Rotary Watches' head office is now in the UK, and it is a wholly owned Chinese company. Rotary offers a range of wrist watch timepieces manufactured in Switzerland, together with a range of less expensive pieces made elsewhere, usually with movements from Japan or China which are then assembled in Japan or China. Rotary watches often feature what Rotary refer to as the "Dolphin Standard" (equivalent to at least ISO 2281), meaning they are water resistant and may be suitable for all-day swimming and diving. Unique to Rotary is the "Revelation" design of reversible watch, which features two distinct movements and faces, allowing the wearer to change style at will or easily switch between two different time zones.

It would appear that the Chinese Citychamp Watch & Jewellery Group Ltd is a holding company for a number of watch making companies. The group owns a great deal of the well known brands of pocket watches, including Rotary and manufactures and supplies them from various outlets across the world. The less expensive pocket watches within this group are most likely manufactured in China or Japan.  

The Rotary Double Hunter (Skeleton) Model No MP00712/01 nickel plated brass case pocket watch has a 17 Jewel mechanical movement. There is no mention in the advertising or on the face of the watch of a Swiss movement. It costs around £189.00. Please click on the image below -


Collection Investment: Its a bit of a minefield to navigate if you are seeking a genuine Swiss pocket watch that is actually manufactured in Switzerland. That is not to say that pocket watches manufactured in the UK or any other country for that matter, with an imported encased 'Swiss Made' movement, and those without, are inferior in any way. There is no doubt that for the collector who is seeking a return on their investments, perhaps in later life or in their children's lifetime, that a sterling silver or an 18ct gold watch are the safest purchases although most 'top of the range' brand new gold watches tend to be 18ct gold which have other metals mixed in to make them more hard wearing. Palladium constructed watches are also very desireable.

18ct: I will use Rolex as an example: Rolex exclusively uses 18 ct gold, a princely alloy composed of 750‰ (thousandths) of pure gold, plus exactly the right mixture of elements including silver and copper necessary to produce the different types of 18 ct gold: yellow, white and Everose, Rolex's exclusive pink gold alloy. Jealously-guarded formulas ensure exceptional durability, polishability – and an extraordinary sheen that lasts for generations.

Palladium is one of the world's rarest metals, that's high in quality and, relatively speaking, lower in price than other high-quality metals. With the increase in the price of gold and platinum, palladium is one of the best choices for those with a lower budget who don't want to sacrifice quality or beauty. The metal is similar to platinum in that it's hypo-allergenic and keeps well over time. It doesn't require plating or other metals for protection - it will naturally stay white without regular maintenance and care. While it's in the same group as platinum and looks very similar, it's much lighter than its sister; in fact, many are questioning whether it is becoming the new platinum. Palladium was officially recognized as a precious metal in January 2010, and it's even been said that palladium is rarer than gold. Some Tissot 'Swiss Made' mechanical pocket watches are constructed with palladium.
 

If the design and movement of a watch does not elevate its value over several decades, at least the scrap value of the silver, gold or palladium, will have appreciated. A great starting point has to be sterling silver which although relatively expensive, a good one that sports 'Swiss Made' on the face and which is genuinely manufactured in Switzerland, like Tissot, can be had for around £750.00.

I dislike quartz pocket watches; in fact I dislike all watches with a quartz battery driven movement. I much prefer a mechanically wound 'Swiss Movement' pocket watch with at least 17 Jewels set in at the points of the workings that will receive the most wear and tear.

Please click on the World History of Tissot which, I have to say, is very impressive. I have also included a video below which covers their history from 1830 in Switzerland to their brand new automated factory, based in Le Locle, near the Jura Mountains, a few kilometers from the city of La Chaux-de-Fonds in Switzerland -

 

 
 The Tissot Savonnette 'Swiss Made' Mechanical is a beautiful full hunter pocket watch that comes in several case designs. Some are made of brass and palladium (a silver look) but with different design engravings. Others are brass with gold colour finishes whilst others are made of sterling silver. The more expensive 'mechanicals' are made of sterling silver with intricate engravings on the front lid and the rear of their sterling silver case.

The Tissot Savonnette pocket watches sport 17 Jewel 'Swiss Made' mechanical movements and these watches are very desirable. They have the ETA 6498-1 movement which is known for its solid, unbreakable and reliable design. Like the ETA 6497 movement which started out in the 1950s; and if you’ve ever looked at a Panerai wrist watch and wondered why it has the rather unusual feature of a subsidiary seconds at nine o’clock, it’s because the 6497 derivative powering was intended as a pocket watch engine. Rotate your 6497-powered wristwatch so that the crown is at 12 o’clock and you’ll see the subsidiary seconds in the standard pocket-watch position at six. The cal. 6498 was designed for a hunter case, so it has the sub-seconds dial in a different place. Because the protective case-front of a hunter is usually sprung-pivoted at six, to open it easily you’ll usually hold it with the crown (which you would press to open the case) at three. When the cal. 6498 movement is transposed into a wristwatch, that means you get the sub-seconds at the more conventional six o’clock.

The one in the image below has a sterling silver case - Model No T83.1.452.13. This watch costs £750.00. Please click on the image to see the rear engravings -
 

 

The one in the image below has a brass gold colour plated case - Model No T83.4.451.13. This watch has a 'Swiss Made' mechanical movement and costs £495.00. Please click on the image below to see the watch specification -


The Tissot Savonnette 'Swiss Made' Mechanical Model No T83.1.406.12 (a sterling silver model) has intricate design engravings on the rear of the case. This beautiful 'Swiss Made' mechanical watch costs £785.00. Please click on its image below to see the rear engravings -

 

 

The Tissot Bridgeport 'Swiss Made' Mechanical Model No T859.405.29.273.00 sports a stainless steel 'double hunter' case with rose gold PVD coating and it is a beautifully finished pocket watch with intricate design engravings. The contrast with the rose tint is breathtaking - see video below. This 'Swiss Made' mechanical watch is a skeleton design and costs £975.00. Please click on its image below to see a larger image -