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Every new watch leads to the downfall of its predecessor, such as the quartz bringing down the mechanical watch; But now the largest manufacture of watches is Apple and smart watches are growing in popularity everywhere. What do you think will be the trend going forward?-- or have all regular watches, moved beyond their functional element to become accessories first and timepieces second, such that they will never fully go away?
I'm a ranch cowboy and most wrist watches don't hold up to the abuse, also they tend to get in the way. I've been carrying a pocket watch of some form for the last twenty years. It definitely draws attention, in the age of smartphones, when someone asks the time and I pull out a pocket watch.
Ya know what you mean i got some interesting comments from my customers when i pull mine out at the store i work in X-D (been carrying one for 12 years myself)
I still rock a watch and it’s not a smart watch. I find watches to be visually appealing imo. Pocket watches are very nice and very slept on imo. Probably because it’s hard to pull off now a days in a casual manner
@@Odd_godd watches become style accesories rather than useful item, most people who carry watch nowadays, they dont carry cheap 5 $ chinese-made watch, they prefer nice looking one, preferably from large known manufacturer
I think it’s interesting that smartphone are like pocket watches in that they are kept in ones pocket whereas a smart watch is the evolution of that, being a watch. I wonder if the waist coat will have a resurgence with a smartphone pocket…
Thanks for the history! You mentioned smartphones. It always amuses me to watch someone check their phone for the time - I’m reminded of my Grandfather pulling out his pocket watch, looking at the time, putting it back. And they lack perspective afforded by seeing the seconds.
Not to mention when spending time with people and someone checks their phone for the time. I dont care who you are it distracts from the conversation. Cant help but at least glance to see if you have missed a call, text, email or even social media update. Even you you are one of the few that can ignore the notifications, just looking at your phone can be perceived as rude and disrespectful by others. I'm not saying I've been any better, thats why I have taken a step back and purchased a cell that you can't even load apps on. Distraction gone!!! When I meet up I may have an alarm set on my phone if im limited on time and my phone is out of sight. But I make sure the people im with are aware. I carry a pocket watch so of I need to know the time, that is all I see. As a bonus, since I talk with my hands im not constantly glancing at my wrist.
I was thinking the same thing after watching the video a second time. It's the modern day version of a pocket watch...but with a LOT more on it. I don't really have people that call or text me very often and I don't have any major apps on my phone so I'm not constantly pinged by tweets (I don't even have a Twitter account actually) or Facebook notifications from the few people who I use it to keep in contact with..my dad and his side of the family mostly. If I pull out my phone it's to check the time..I'd also like to point out that MANY blue jeans STILL have a pocket for the pocket watch on the right hand side...yeah for those who don't know that tiny little pocket IN the right hand pocket is originally for pocket watches, replacing the need for a waist coat when not in fancy cloths. I can't keep up with a watch to save my soul, I've lost more cheap wrist watches than I care to admit but I can still find my two cheap pocket watches and my cell phone, so when it comes to telling time it's usually the phone that's pulled out of my pocket unless I'm actually carrying one of the pocket watches.
@@ShinKyuubi and if you don't like using that pocket or don't have that pocket. My wife bought me a belt carrier/holster. So now I have even more ways to carry my pocket watches
There's a debate among watch geeks over the Apple Watch. Some people think its an abomination and a threat to the watch industry and some think it gets tech addicted young people used to looking to their wrist for the time instead of the phone screen and could get them into real watches. I lean towards the latter because at least they gets them to look to the wrist instead of reach into their pocket.
@@MakerInMotion Never owned a smart watch myself...so I don't know much about them other than I see them one the rare times I go into the local Best Buy for something.
I have been wearing my gold chain, fob, and hunter cased pocket watch since 1969. I wear it on Sundays, for special occasions and formal events. Get lots of compliments. Always worn with my 3 piece suits since I need the vest for its' pocket to carry the watch in. Mine is engraved. My Dad wore it in the 1930s and did so until he passed away in 1969. He always looked sharp. He stood out in the crowd and had real class. Dad smoked a pipe and so do I. I am 78. When I retired, my company gave me a pocked watch and chain as well. However, I wear my Dad's pocket watch the majority of the time.
@@Fortuna_Magica I'm Australian.I just asked my wife if she knew what the name of that pocket was. She didn't! She called it a coin pocket as that tend to be the modern use for it.
And now they are highly collectable. I've collected 50 or so and counting. 1925 railroad grade excellent condition. They have increased by hundreds of dollars over the last two years. I have had a couple made into wrist watches. BAD ASS....
Yeah fact. I purchased a couple solid gold Longines pocketwatches about 5 years ago and they have almost tripled in value. all purchased under 800 euro a piece , now regularly sell for 2000 euro+
I believe the motivation for sailors was navigation, to be able to estimate longitude and they would synchronize their pocket watches and wrist watches off a ship master chronometer on a daily basis so that their daily observations were logged with sufficient time accuracy for navigation. It would be interesting to see if the sailors favoured watches that were difficult to accidentally change the time much as the company issued official railroad pocket watches often had features so that the time could not be accidentally changed.
At least at ships they needed high precision clocks for navigation. If your watch is 4 minutes off time (that with the train accident) your longitude estimation will be (at the equator) 111 km false. Even those watches with 30 seconds a month accuracy would not be good enough for (sailing) travels around the world.
Most of us today wear clothes that are designed for pocket watches. That little pocket on your jeans is called a fob pocket and is specifically for pocket watches (or loose change…)
Fun part is I wear a pocket watch, and half the time those of us in women's jeans find the pocket 80 % of the time, like most women's pockets for women, is vestigial at best and too small for my 1908 Illinois.
Funny thing, I was talking to an apprentice about how I cary spare batteries for my flashlight (HVAC Industry) in my "watch pocket" The apprentice had no idea what that pocket was for, I thought it was common knowledge.
@DrDavelope I find that little pocket great for carrying small folding knives. I also sometimes carry my great grandfathers 1889 gold Waltham railway pocket watch in there. It's kind of funny that the watch fits perfectly in a modern jean pocket. Never really did know what those pockets were designed for, but it makes perfect sense now, Thanks 👍
@@ChrisWolf75 hi I inherited my grandfather's old Waltham but I couldn't find a similar model online. Do you know a good website to identify the model? The most similar model I found was from 1910 to 1930 based on the style of the numbers and the case but no match.
My dad retired early. He had been a horologist as a hobby and it became his full time profession after his retirement. So I can truly appreciate this video. A cell phone is actually no more convenient than a pocket watch for telling time since you have to get it or pick it up to look at it. Sometimes the cell phone is not even on your person. Personally, since I am not physically attached to my cell phone , a wrist watch is essential.
I got a wristwatch for my 17th birthday, and 3 years later I can't imagine being without it(Actually had it stolen about two months before Christmas, got a new one but the time without it was awful). It's a Casio G-shock, and unlike my phone, I can just quickly glance at it, no need to charge the battery, no fear of it getting wet, no distractions - just the time and a couple of other functions should I need them. I'd even say I prefer a pocket watch to a phone, though I don't carry it with me often.
Yep, even if I have my mobile, it’s typically in a pocket or somewhere I have to reach, then tap to activate the screen. Wearing a wristwatch, I simply glance at my wrist. Never understood the “I’ve got a phone” perspective.
I haven't stopped. I've been wearing my grandfather's Elgin (c1952), everyday since 1985. For more formal occasions, my gold Illinois Watch Co. pocket watch (c1912) and sometimes my silver Elgin (c1922)....so there! Haven't worn a wrist watch since I graduated from college in 1984.
Good on ya, my friend. I've been carrying my great grandfathers solid gold 1889 Waltham since my grandfather handed it to me in 1989. I remember him saying it was given to him in 39. I'm gonna hand it off to one of my own kids in 2029 or 39.
I love pocket watches, especially Waltham of which I have several. The oldest Waltham I have is a model 1857, serial number 40,444 which dates it November 1860, six months before the opening of the Civil War. Size 18, hunter case, key wound and set. It still works well and I wear it occasionally.
Although I don't qualify on the real "man" front I am a watch maniac, I'll wear an automatic on my left wrist, an Apple watch on my right, and a 1908 Illinois pocket watch in my jeans. I had a man argue with me last week that a pocket watch could only be worn on a vest with a chain. I had the give the "watch pocket" lecture for the millionth time.
I can't believe you actually had someone who said it had to be in a vest 🤦 Many Australian made trousers and shorts (up to the early 50's when American styling and tailoring took over our shores) had either a "coin pocket" (it's amazing why it would have been called that because it's impossible to fish coins our of a pocket that is that narrow on a pair of high waisted trousers) that was seen inside the left hip slit pocket or a dedicated buttoned flap pocket sewn just below the waistband. It was quite common here to find in pants and shorts......I guess since it was always too hot to wear a vest for most people for most of the year that we just altered our clothing 😁
Pocket watches still have their place, although very limited. I used to work in the funeral industry, and I believe that a pocket watch looks more professional for a funeral director. Getting the timing right is absolutely critical at a funeral, but looking at your phone or a wristwatch does look somewhat undignified (especially a phone), so I always used a pocketwatch. Mine isn't a top quality one, it's a bottom basic mechanical cutaway Hunter, that neeabout every 14 hours, and gains 90 seconds per day, but as long as it's checked compared to an accurate source of time on a fairly frequent basis, it looked great for the job.
When I managed in hotels, I always required my front office team (FD, Valet, Bell, concierge) to where a watch. I told them I don’t even care if it works or not it just needs to look clean, and be visible. Nowadays I feel looking at the phone isn’t a negative, so much info now is done on the phone anyway.
I wound up buying a Charles-Hubert Paris pocket watch for myself as a going-to-college reward a few years back, and it's my go-to timepiece. Keeps great time, and is definitely a great style piece. I've definitely gotten my share of compliments on it, for sure! Much more impressively, a bit before then, my grandfather gave me a vintage chronometer from the Howard Watch Company that _his_ grandfather had used in the late 1890s as a railroad worker. Probably the single most valuable thing I own, truth be told!
The pocket watch never really went away it just left the pockets of average joes. It’s still basically a standard accessory for white tie and it’s also a very common accessory for sartorially minded people who are drawn to 3 piece suits. It just brings the 3 piece together. For a while 3 piece suits were really making a comeback in high fashion. Italian designers would even create lines of waistcoats that could be paired with multiple suits in multiple colors. But then for some reason recently that has stopped. The only place you really see selling multiple styles of 3 piece suits is Ralph Lauren. Other places might have one single 3 piece, or a 3 piece tuxedo. I love 3 piece suits and would absolutely exclusively wear them if my profession and weather permitted. There’s nothing better looking then a casual tweed 3 piece suit.
The "watch pocket" on jeans has become too small to actually use for pocket watches. Unless you get jeans that are modeled after 1890s patterns, good luck sticking a 20 ligne pocket watch in there. I'm lucky if I can fit a quarter in the hip pockets of modern Levis.
I think another factor in the change, especially after the military started issuing them, the wristwatch became sort of an unspoken symbol that you had served your country. And, of course, as it was considered part of your uniform the wristwatch often appeared important family pictures. It was something to be proud of.
woah, I actually got a pocket watch just yesterday as an early Christmas present! It's actually the one on the left at 5:27, what a coincidence. The reason I wanted a watch are a few- It's a useful accessory, I can leave it in my pocket and have the chain out and it's not tacky like just a chain that some pants have because it serves a purpose. Another reason was because I have less use for my phone, so there's no need to check it so often. Finally, it's interesting, a conversation pieces and I think it's cool. This is a great video and very informative, keep up the great and very helpful videos!
Antonio, nice video on Pocket Watches! I am 67 and I just started collecting "railroad" grade pocket watches, so I really enjoyed learning more about the history of pocket watches. As you mentioned, after that terrible railroad accident, the government initiated standards that watch manufacturers had to adhere to in order for their watches to be called "railroad grade." I once read that these old pocket watches rival the accuracy of the finest Swiss watches produced today! And, they are very cool and extremely accurate. They go well with regular jeans too. I would attach a photo of my 3 watches (two Elgins and one Hamilton), but I don't think there is a way to attach photos to RU-vid comments.
"Premium" Swiss watches today aren't typically as accurate as quartz watches. It takes a lot of regulation to get a Rolex to perform as well as a $20 Casio. It will never perform as well as a high end quartz; not even in the same ballpark.
You average digital children watch you get from your Happy Meal or gas station can tell time way more accurately and reliably than say a $500k analog watch or any watches with mechanical movement for that matter. The only realistic reason people actually buy and wear fancy luxury watches are more like a fashion statement gratification rather than a reliable timepiece.
@@stanleylaw47That’s not far off the truth if not a bit hyperbolic. A top mechanical watch can keep very accurate time. There’s also certain instances, though unusual, where a mechanical watch has advantages. Which is why astronauts still use them. But it’s more than just a fashion statement. It’s also an appreciation for the appeal that such precise engineering has. So a luxury mechanical watch can have more of an appeal than just a status symbol. High end mechanical watches with their complications have a similar appeal that late model sports cars have to some folk.
I got like..3...2 of them run on batteries and were pretty cheap but the last one is kinda a family heirloom as far as I'm concerned. It belonged to my great grandpa on my mother's side and it has a fob instead of a chain, it's also a wind up type instead of a battery. It's got a scene of dogs chasing an elk on it...I'd love to get it fixed cause the parts inside still work but the hands are stuck..you can hear everything ticking when you wind it and the second hand tries to move but it's stuck in place. There's no local places in my area that'll fix it and I'm more than a little scared to send it through the mail to someone who might be able to fix it...don't want it getting stolen and all that, plus I don't know how much it would cost to get it fixed.
You rightly mentioned that the fall of the pocket watch was because of the fall of the waistcoat, or to put it another way, the fall of the pocket watch was due to the fall of the pocket - and that is exactly why wrist watches were considered a woman's item. In the history of fashion - and even today - women's garments have always been bereft of pockets, hence the wrist watch and the hand bag. Of course, nurses weren't allowed a wristwatch, and without pockets, nurses' watches are pinned to the blouse and are built to hang upside down!
I've always kept pocket watches, but that's probably more to do with the fact that I despise wearing things on my wrists. And god forbid I have to put on a hospital bracelet....
Per your request, I have my grand daddy's Ball. He was a train conductor. Model 1 from about 1925. Railroad grade, size 16, 21 jewels, runs at 18000 bph. Surprisingly accurate but +/- 1sec. per day would take some careful trimming. An Android app claims +5s/d at the moment. My only other watch, pocket or otherwise, is a Swiss Army Field with quartz movement and a chrome-plated case & chromed steel chain from the late 1990's. Supporting your waistcoat theory, I wear this whenever I wear my 501 Levi's, since it has a watch pocket but never with my Dickies 874 since there's no place for it.
My grandfather was a railroad conductor too. He worked for the Nickel Plate. He retired in the mid 70’s. After he passed away one of my Uncles inherited his watch, which I believe was an Illinois RR Standard. I have had no success discovering what happened to it. Three years ago my wife offered to buy me a luxury watch and I chose a Ball Trainmaster Cannonball. It was a great choice and a great watch. I get compliments on it all the time and since I live in Ohio and am descended from railroaders its story, style and precision had made it a great watch for me. It’s really a beautiful watch.
In the late 60's, I wore a pocket watch on a leather wristlet (12:23). City bus drivers were wearing them in Chicago, and I thought they were cool, so I bought one. Today I wear divers (with a suit).
Los Angeles Rapid Transit bus drivers were issued a precision pocket watch in a leather belt carrier. It unsnapped and hinged down revealing the face so the driver could read it while seated. This was also in the 60's.
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I happen to have a 1936 Hamilton Railroad pocket watch. Has 992E, 21jewels with gold filled case. Had it gone over and it's in excellent condition. Scratches on back but not too bad.
Great presentation. I own the Ball Official Standard, 21 jewels, adjusted to 6 positions, temperature compensated, lever set pocket watch. It was made in 1960 and runs great. I also own other railroad grade pieces and others dating from the 1700’s. Keep those videos coming.
I actually just received six new pocket watches off of whatnot and even a special one this last Father's Day from my child which is pretty freaking awesome so whoever said pocket watches aren't in style is mad
@@RealMenRealStyle thanks it's been an adventurous 17 years lol I just wanted to say thanks for ALL of your excellent knowledge and information throughout the years. I found your channel two years ago and it changed my world, especially over the last 6 months. Thank you for all your awesome work and keep it coming. You are making the world a stylish and more positive place for gentlemen like me. Cheers
Nonsense the idea to start and stop working did not occur until the Industrial Revolution. TIME was needed for Religious purposes, When to show up for MASS.
I inherited my grandfathers South Bend pocket watch. He used it to the day he died. I kept it in working condition with the chain. I spent 25 years in the military, took it on all my overseas tour except combat tours. When I was required or had the occasion to wear my dress blues. I carried the pocket watch. As years went by I collected more South Bend pocket watches. I enjoy them. It is a unique hobby. I have a collection of Only South Bend pocket watches. I believe the count is now 61 watches. Only 3 won’t keep time but I will have them fixed. Why South Bend watches well that is easy I was born and raised in South Bend Indiana. I remember the watch factory, but then it was just a red Chicago fire brick warehouse. I’m now 77 years old but when I have the opportunity to put on a suit I also wear my favorite pocket watch with chain. When I wear a vest, that is where the watch goes, but if there is no vest I will put the watch in my breast pocket and attach the chain with a safety pin to the under side of my left lapel. Is it functional? Yes. Is it jewelry? Yes. You will be the only one wearing a pocket watch. Oh, my grandfathers watch, I passed it on to my oldest son. My younger son will get my pocket watch. Get you grandfathers pocket watch out of the bottom of your underwear drawer, take it to a reputable watch maker. Have it fix to keep time. Display it on your dresser in your bed room. Wear it just for special occasions. Oh, I said reputable watch market. Yes they are called watch makers not watch repairmen. Any one can buy a Rolex and flash it around. But what does it say about you when you go to special occasions with your shined grandfathers watch and chain. It’s fine family heirloom jewelry.
Wonderful! Just a suggestion... Never leave a prized watch out in the open. Put in a safe place. Burglars and others steal items very effectively. If you don't have a safe, find a hidden, secure place to hide them.
I have a wristwatch for every single occasion, its's a little beat up, and it isn't a very fancy watch, but I really feal naked without my watch on my wrist if I'm going out.
First off, the Oyster is a Rolex. Secondly, Ball was not a manufacturer, he was a jeweler who sold pocket watches. After the 1891 Kipton crash, he was appointed to oversee the manufacture of watches and set standards for railroad timekeeping. I own an early 1900's Ball Waltham, 16 size, 21 jewel, adjusted to 5 positions pocket watch. Most all of the American watch manufacturers made a "Ball" model - Waltham, Elgin, Hamilton, Illinois. Railroad trainmen had to have their watches serviced once a year, and were given loaners by the jeweler until they got their watch back. The paperwork proving the watch service was as crucial as having an accurate watch. If you're ever near the East coast, I highly recommend taking a few days to visit the National Watch and Clock Museum in Columbia, Pennsylvania. It's also close to the original home of the Hamilton Watch Company in nearby Lancaster.
I find it funny when a RU-vidr says to comment on some random thing in the comments. Like at 8:39 is he really gonna sit there and be like "Honey, Kids, come here and get Neighbors on the phone this guy commented that he has a ball watch"
I wear a mechanical pocket watch with my jeans nearly everyday. That’s what that “coin” pocket is actually for. There is just something classic and gentlemanly about pocket watches. Plus sometimes the wrist watch can be annoying, at least for me.
I still use my great grandfather's 1862 Elgin keyed pocket watch. Wrist watches do not hold up in my work and over the years I've tried and lost or broken several wrist watches. I also wear vests and waist coats due to the colder environment that I live in.
Started wearing a pocket watch a year ago. Collected a few from the early 1900's. Personally just works for me. I do not like having things on my wrists so a wrist watch is out, and i dont always carry a phone with me. I do get alot of comments when people see it asking me if im really wearing a pocket watch and i just pull it out and they are amazed that they are still around. Even more amazing when i show them my 1899 Hampden special railway. Only drawback to having them and using them is trying to find a watch maker to service it.
I worked for an Eastern railroad for 34 1/2 years. I purchased a Hamilton 992B railway pocketwatch. I wore it for a few years but had issues with magnetization. I also was hard on crystals. I replaced the pocketwatch with a Seiko railway approved quartz wristwatch, solving the magnetization problem. I was lucky to be able to purchase the recently issued Hamilton commerative limited edition pocket watch. There was no requirement to have an accurate watch in freight service, but at the time, I was in passenger service, and there was a requirement to have a railroad approved timepiece. Now you can use anything. Most have phones .
Yo! I got an automatic pocket watch I keep in my breast pocket on my battle jacket, chain hangs out and people ask what the chain is for and I pull out the watch and show it off! They always love it
I stopped wearing a wristwatch 20-30 years ago. I found it was aggravating my carpal tunnel issues. I kept a pocket watch in that little pocket on my jeans. I had a few watches and for a while I had a relic watch. I stopped carrying a pocket watch when I started carrying a different type of watch called a phone.
I still prefer a watch on the wrist. Overseas pulling our your phone to look at the time didn't work. I like to look at the time while shooting. Also in more rural parts of the world my watch is more reliable as I can't always charge my phone.
To be honest i still sometimes carry one as secondary watch because watches are fashion too and have the amazing benefit of actually being practical (considering the dial is not just fancy style over substance but actually easy to read). You can get a lot of different inexpensive mechanical pocketwatches that are all produced in china. And those are a nice entry into that world of pocket watches. From there on, if you want something more reliable and worthwhile, you can always get more expensive ones. What i like the most about pocket watches are the protective lid where you can add a little photo of your loved ones inside. So the watch not only becomes a timekeeper but also a sentimental personalized item.
I used a pocket or fob watch for years. I don't like wearing jewellery, even rings and chains. As a tradie, I often had to reach into tight spaces with out removing from my wrist, I could hang the watch up or place it off to one side and keep both hands on task. The other thing was safety, I knew several other trades who sustained injuries from watches becoming ensnared. Wrist watches are also conductive, so as an electrician, they could be a hazard
I still carry a pocket watch (of course a wind up one). I hate having stuff around my wrist so much I don't even wear bracelets, it's easier and less stressful to just throw this round chunk of metal in my pocket (make it my trousers', coat's, overcoat's) than to have something around my wrist
I love pocket watches. I wear them all the time when I have a suit or a waistcoat on me. I have two pocket watches, both inherited. The first ones I ever got were my great-grandfather's old Russian watches. They are less expensive in the build, so w/ a trousers chain, they're perfect for casual wearing. The second ones, and my favorites, are Omega Grand Prix Paris 1900 w/ a body made entirely out of silver that I inherited from my granduncle. Both pocket watches are in original condition and still working. I also have a smartwatch, but I wear them almost only at home or while exercising bcs I just love my pocket watches so damn much, and I find them much more functional (maybe only bcs I'm so used to them) than other kinds of watches. Note: I wear suits/waistcoats a lot.
The thing is, and it doesn't apply to every setting, that I can glance at my watch and tell the time. With a pocket watch I'd have to pull it out mid conversation with someone which creates this energy that your time is more important than theirs/you are a bit annoyed with the durations of proceedings and also can be disrespectful in some situations.
I've heard that train companies in Japan still uses pocket watches. There's a place on the train control board that holds your watch as you drive. I heard that its the biggest difference between Amtrak and Japan Rail. Amtrak gives an employee a watch as part of the retirement ceremony. JR issues a watch when an employee stars working. And they're expected to use it. A train running from Tokyo to Osaka has to arrive on the other side of the country within one minute of the schedule.
American watchmaking perfected "mass production" where all parts were made and fitted together in a single factory. This is not to be confused with "assembly line production", which was not pioneered by Henry Ford but rather by the beer-bottling industry - which is where Mr. Ford got his ideas from for the assembly line (Coors Brewing, as a matter of fact). Mass production was conceived during the American Civil War by the firearms manufacturing industry to meet the sudden need for large numbers of pistols and rifles for the infantry that could be easily serviced and had interchangeable parts. American watch manufacturers took those lessons and applied them to create an industry that produced more watches per year than any other country (or several put together) and it lasted for nearly a century. By the time of the "quartz crisis" that nearly buried the mechanical watch industry, America had moved on from watches. While Swiss watches are today considered to be at the top of the list for quality, back in the 19th Century they were far from it. At that time the Swiss were still producing batches of individual parts in small privately-owned shops around the country that were then sent to a central location to be assembled into a working watch. But because each part was made in a different location, consistency and quality control were incredibly difficult to maintain. In the US factories, however, all the parts were made "under one roof" where quality control, batch consistency, and even corrections/modifications could be closely monitored at all times. I knew an older gentleman, since passed, who was a watchsmith and claimed that Swiss watches of that era were more difficult and time consuming to service because you had to hand-fit and adjust each part individually, but American watches were much easier because any part you ordered was identical to the original and could more easily be installed. As an aside, not all pocket watches were "railroad" watches, but up until the 2nd half of the 20th Century all railroad watches WERE pocket watches. The "Railroad Standards" actually evolved and matured over time and eventually included lists of approved watch manufacturers, models and serial number ranges. While extremely good, railroad watches were not the most accurate - those were ships' watches that were used for navigation, without which a navigator could not calculate latitude.
You're incorrect on one major point. By the late 1940s, American watchmaking production was outstripped by both Switzerland and the Soviet Union in terms of units made and exported. Other than that, excellent post.
@@jakekaywell5972 You are correct, which is why I always qualify that part of my post with "nearly a century". After WW2, US industrial might was the only one left standing in its entirety and watches had become so ubiquitous that they shifted from war production to other consumer/household items and automobiles that were more in demand. That left the majority of watch production to countries where watches were still a prime commodity, such as the USSR and Europe. Watch manufacturing dwindled in the US until the quartz crisis nearly eliminated it completely. Today, even the giants of US watchmaking such as Elgin, Hamilton, etc. are owned by foreign concerns and produced overseas. It may be a sad thing that we no longer produce watches, but we simply outgrew it and moved on.
Well done video & research (I'm an amateur watchmaker). The 30-seconds for the new railroad spec was per week, not per month though... although with modern timegraphers, we can get to 30-sec a month with these old watches! This specification alone put the US watchmakers on the world map as literally the world's best. The European watches were seen as pretty much jewelry after that, for quite some time. Here's the railway spec as nicely stated in the RailsWest site: "All new watches entering service must be 16-size, American make, lever set, plain dial, double roller, 19 jewels or more, steel escape wheel, adjusted to five or more positions and so stamped on their plates, in open face cases, wind at figure 12, and rate within a variation of 30 seconds per week."
There were pocket watches produced for ordinary people. Relatively cheap and not necessarily made of gold or silver. My grandfather had one in stainless steel, and he made shoes. Hardly a member of the upper classes or for that matter an officer. I think he was a private in World War I - at most a Cpl.
For a long time it was either a pocket watch or hope that you live in one of those cities that had giant clocks on the side of the road. I saw one when I was a kid and I was absolutely puzzled as to why there was this 15 foot tall poll with a large clock at the top. It turns out that in olden times a lot of people didn't have a watch with them at all times.
I am curious why the digital watch is totally ignored here. Is is not "posh" enough? 🤔 There are some exellent watches in that group that is truly fantastic, just saying.
@@guylewis7418 Well, a friend of mine have an old beat up Casio that never can die. We, jokingly, calls it the Terminator watch. The sick part is that it isn´t even a G-shock it is just a F-91W. That old beater have a soul too, kind of.
There is a much more important reason a sailor wants an accurate watch- they can be used in the navigation. If you know your bearing and speed - and you have accurate time - then you can find your position. You can also use your watch time when you are at noon (the sun's apogee) to find relative longitude. This is why ships clocks were some of the most accurate timepieces in the world.
I have 2 pocket watches. A 1908 Rockford and a 1956 Hamilton railroad watch. They still work. But for 30 years I wore a Seiko divers watch.with a quartz movement. Changing the batteries every year was sometimes a nuisance, but worth doing. Then came the cell phone and why am I wearing a wrist watch when I also have a phone that shows the time? Then I worked at sites where cell phones were not allowed. The solution? An ultra cheap (less than $20) imported waterproof quartz watch sold in drug stores, Kmart (when there was a Kmart) and Walmart. A cheap plastic wrist band vs the Speidel on my diver's watch.. So what? When the wrist band wears out or breaks, or the battery runs down I just swing by Walmart and get another $18 watch just like it. Doing that is cheaper than having a jeweler change the batteries and waterproof gasket on my old Seiko diver's watch. After over a year or wear my cheap watch is still within 3 seconds of the time displayed on my phone.
I fell out of love with watches from 18 - 21 I effectivly didn't own a watch during this period except for my Grandads old manual wind up pocket watch & chain that I wore for my part time job 2 - 3 times week. I wore a black suede waistcoat that had a little pocket with a pop stud fastener designed for a pocket watch, so I started to use the pocket watch whenever I wore the waistcoat, more for decorative reasons to start with. I worked in a shoe shop in London, while a full time student and I lost count from the amount of people either on public transport or working in the shop who asked if the chain was just for show or if it was attached to a pocket watch. I would show them the pocket watch (A 50mm Silver Swiss Made Fero Alpine, a second hand dial at the 6 o'clock with a huge onion like crown - As I believe it was a aviator version), the older customers loved it, as I suspect it was more common when they were younger and. I believe it got me back into watches later on in life.
The reason watches were such an important piece of equipment in the WW1 trenches has to do with the tactics that evolved during the war. The deadlock situation of trench warfare was something like this: Both sides are dug down in fortified positions on each side of no-mans land. If you stick your head above the edge of the trench, you are likely getting picked off by a sniper. So, they tried to charge en masse, but faced barbed wire and machine guns. They tried to bombard the opposite side with massive artillery barrages, but the defenders knew that when the barrage stopped, the enemy would be upon them soon. So the tactics they developed in the end, was called a creeping barrage. The artillery, consisting of hundreds of guns, would create a curtain of explosions slowly sweeping forwards over the battlefield. The infantry would be obscured behind this curtain and could advance in relative safety until they reached the other side where they could engage the enemy who had no time to run out of their shelters to man the machine guns. Each shell fired must fall at a specific point on the battlefield, at an exact time. Now, this operation requires the coordination of thousands of men to work together, both artillery and infantry. And they need to follow a minute-by-minute schedule for it to work. If you mess it up, you are dead, or in case you are commanding an artillery piece, you are bombarding your own soldiers. Accurate, synchronized wristwatches was absolutely necessary to pulling off this tactics. Not only did the British make the creeping barrage work, but it arguably changed the course of the war.
Being able to have a time piece in one’s home or pocket back in the 16th and 17th Centuries was equivalent to having an expensive computer or mobile today. It gave the ordinary person the power and freedom to predict time and plan their lives. I still use a pocket watch.
You average digital children watch you get from your Happy Meal or gas station can tell time way more accurately and reliably than say a $500k analog watch or any watches with mechanical movement for that matter. Your modern electronics like smartwatches, phone, tablets and devices, even more so. The only realistic reason people actually buy and wear fancy luxury watches are more like a fashion statement gratification rather than a reliable timepiece.
Interesting that the two early 19th century wristwatches are connected to the same individual. Josephine de Beauharnais and the Queen of Naples, one the first wife of and the 2nd the sister of Napoleon Bonaparte.
Well I put down my 2 mickey mouse wrist and 2 mickey mouse pocket watches..2..I thinking buying Rolex because batteries so expensive for my CCCP,SWISS WATCH..
I own a Ball, Roadmaster Archangel. It's a COSC certified dive watch. Custom serial number and engraved. (I love it, but my combat deployment watch was a G-Shock that is beat to hell, yet I still have it).
Ever since my early 20s (that would be in the early 1970s) I always had one or two suits with waistcoats in my closet.....as a result I inherited my Grandfather's gold Elgin pocket watch and have worn it often......there is something finished, or polished about a 3 piece suit....worn either with a throwback wrist watch (Art Deco for example), or my Grandfather's beautiful pocket watch with its rather delicate gold watch chain.....I love the look....retro to the early part of the 20th Century I guess....
They stopped wearing pocket watches due to the wristwatch. Did you know the ground is not a giant spinning spherical water world space ball spinning faster than a BULLET at the EQUATOR!!? Now you do!
I’ve 2 Ball watches which are now made in Switzerland. The Ball watch company markets their watches having tritium hour indicators that life expectancy is 25 years. One of my watch’s tritium tubes lasted 6 years and the other 11 years. Even before this, the tubes gradually became so dim, they were unreadable. The fee to replace was steep; the dial alone was $400 before installation. The watch’s accuracy was unimpressive. I bought a Rolex Submariner in 1993. It lost 1 1/2 minutes a month. It stoped working after 10 years for need of cleaning. This service today is $1,150. I paid the fee and since 2008 the Rolex Submariner has been sitting in a sock drawer, never to wear it again. Too expensive for me. Since 2008 I’ve worn a $350 Hamilton Khaki King who’s accuracy’s 2 minutes a month and has never been cleaned. Good enough for me. By the way, I graduated from Quantico’s TBS class of 3-75.
When I wear a waistcoat I wear a pocket watch. Until about 20 years ago I wore my pocket watch whenever I wore a suit. I would put it in my lapel buttonhole and my top pocket. Now I almost never wear a formal jacket, let alone a suit.
The Omega Watch ⌚️ I designed in high school. The Diver's watch I designed to be waterproof underwater. The metal band was part of that design. The chain link watch is by Logan Lerman my husband. The Quartz watch God suggested at the same time. It did not need winding which was my invention. Natalie Helferty Queen of Canada and Royal Chieftain of Indians of America Hollywood Royal.
I have the original Ball watches..18”. Web was smart,.he didn’t make his own watch other manufacturers did it for him,, So Ball watch was actually made by Elgin, Waltham, and I think Hamilton…original Balls are quite collectible…Today Ball is a Swiss made wristwatch with Railroad heritage..
11:54 "... again, it was worn by women, and it was something that was very delicate, but here's the thing, the pocket watch wasn't really useful during the trenches warfare of World War One ... so all of a sudden you had soldiers on the Front, 1914, starting to adjust their watches, literally putting straps ..." However, the advert shown at 7:15 states "This fine movement wristlet watch was first used in great numbers at Omdurman" (a battle in 1898) "During the last Boer War it renewed its high reputation for reliability under trying conditions" (1899-1902)
I got my first pocket watch back in the 70s. It was a Westclox Bullseye. I thought it was great and carried it everywhere. With a leather cord, I attached it to my belt loop and put it in my blue jean pocket. One day, we went to the woods to gather sandstone rocks for the house. I lifted one that was so big and heavy that I had get it up on my thighs. About that time, I heard a crunch. 😂😂 I got another one but left it in my pocket, and it went through the washing machine. 🙄😢 So, about 7 years ago, I remembered the old pocket watches and bought 3 off eBay. Then, a couple of years ago I started buying and fixing them. Now I have more than a dozen, and I'm almost ready to jump to Elgins and chains. I already have 8 Elgin pocket watches and about 5 chains. All the watches need to be serviced except for maybe one. I hope to start on that later this year. I bought one for my wife, too. I think, at this point, I'm officially a watch collector. The thing about wrist watches is that the crystals always get dragged against something and scratched up. I carry a pocket watch and chain everywhere now. I'd rather do that than have to drag out a phone and fiddle with it to see the time. It's hard to see the time on a fart phone in the sun, anyway. And forget LCD watches!
It's obvious that you put a lot of time into researching and fleshing out your very trenchant and even scholarly presentation. It's just a shame something you neglected detracted from your effort. It's unfortunate you didn't pay more attention to your use of the English language. Companies do not "do good", as you said. They do WELL!!!! I know it might seem like a minor point, but it's not. People better start paying attention to the way our usage of the English language is deteriorating before we're all grunting and gesticulating WILDLY in order to communicate! Don't laugh! It could happen far more EASILY and far more QUICKLY than you might ever think. It could happen in as little as a generation.......if we're not careful!
So the Peaky Blinders didn’t wear pocket watches because of fashion?!!…my grandad wore one in the 1960’s in his waistcoat…..it was handed down from his uncle…..🤷♂️
I just wished pocket watches weren't so expensive. I do have fob quartz pocket watch knock off. But analog and mechanical watches will always be my go to. I refuse to wear smart watches that hook up to your android or apple phone.
A pocket watch saved an important commander's life during 2nd Gallipoli Campaign, who was going to be founder of Republic of Turkey. Bullet hit his pocket watch instead of his chest.
You completely missed the point of portable precision timekeeping - navigation. The simplest, most accurate way to determine longitude is with time. All portable clocks and watch stemmed from this need. Fashion, convience were all secondary. 17th century gear clocks and 18th century chonometers. Pocket watches were scaled down nautical chronometers
I do own a modern Ball Railroad Standard Watch. Ball watches are now made in Switzerland but still comply with the American Railroad Standard. Mine is the Ball Trainmaster Cannonball. It is a very nice chronograph and a new one direct from Ball will cost around $3,500 and is one of Balls more popular wrist watches. Though a wrist watch the Trainmaster Cannonball has, time, date and chronograph functions and its face plate is modeled after their original pocket watch. Though a luxury watch this watch is surprisingly sturdy and shock resistant and many more well known watch brands you would have to pay several thousand dollars more for one of comparable quality. The main reason I bought this watch has to do with the history of Ball Watches, that I live in Ohio and that I’m descended from three generations of railroad men and it’s a very good value at its price point assuming your not a collector or interested in the resale market.
I work in a physically demanding and technical environment and wanted a watch that I could check without it snagging on machinery or getting damaged from bumps and scrapes and didn't want to filth up my smartphone, so I decided to bring in a tacky $16 pocket watch form eBay, custom engraved with the words "no engraving please." A few other engineers and techs have started doing the same and a CEO is rocking a vintage waltham.
IMHO, you cannot claim a 'classic' look without owning at least one pocket watch in your wardrobe.... especially if wearing a vest/waistcoat. Is it appropriate for all looks? No, of course not. BUT... If you want to stand out from the crowd style-wise....
3 reasons I own a pocket watch: 1. I hate wearing something on my wrist (and generally anything that is "strapped" to me). 2. I don't always want to pull out my phone to check the time (some places it's not allowed or appropriate, on the streets someone might steal it). 3. I just find them neat and it makes you stand out from the crowd. I never liked following trends. Bonus: Pulling out a pocket watch and telling someone they are 3 minutes late never stops to amuse me.
