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.
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Vintage pocket watches are actually a sound
investment, if you’re 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. Today’s 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. |
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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!
http://www.4-a1-watches.com/product%20pages/menswatches.htm
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