Felling a little nostalgia today and dug out my grandfathers eligin pocket watch. Gold chain and a small pen knife. Every picture of him, black and white of course, he had a suit/vest on with the watch.
Never saw my father use it, but it's running and keeping good time.
Too nice to wear.

Does anyone use a pocket watch anymore? Is there such a thing as a "tactical pocket watch"? And by that, something durable, water proof,maybe some kind of rubber casing.

I don't, but they are cool.

I use a nineteen teens vintage Illinois every day. Every service costs more than it is worth, but I don't care. I have not owned a wristwatch in probably 25 years.

Always liked them, especially the highly calibrated and accurate railroad ones like those from Hamilton, etc.

But I never pulled the trigger. Closest I got was this cheap quartz job at least 15 or more years ago. Never got used to carrying it so that reaffirmed my good sense in not buying a good one which would no doubt become nothing more than a display piece.



FWIW I still have that Details piece pictured and it keeps great time sitting on my desk.

Only when the band breaks

Short answer...
YES, sometimes.

Long answer...
My Grandfather was born in 1899 and served in the navy in the WWI. He was shot in the forehead through his helmet and the bullet popped a hole in his skull and stopped. They put a plate over the hole and he went back to finish his time in as a cook. During the depression he went to Chicago for for work. First erecting steel on buildings until he saw a man fall to his death. Then later he got a job running a trencher laying huge 4 foot water main pipe for the city. While there he stayed at a boarding house. When he moved back to Tennessee the lady that owned the boarding house gave him a pocket watch. > One day my Dad snuck the watch to school with him. At some point at school he ran into a door knob and the back of the watch was dented and the crystal cracked. > My Grandmother gave me the watch after My Grandfather died in 1980. I have had it ever since, had it serviced and the crystal replaced but specified they NOT push the dent out. I wear it mostly to church.

It's not a valuable watch... but it's priceless to me.

quote:

Originally posted by M1Garandy:
I use a nineteen teens vintage Illinois every day. Every service costs more than it is worth, but I don't care. I have not owned a wristwatch in probably 25 years.

I once carried this watch everyday, but finally, after losing the bow and a watch fob my wife gave me; I put it up. I just recently had it restored but haven’t gone out with a vest, so it stays in a drawer. Maybe I’ll carry it for the Cheyenne Frontier Days Christmas party for the committee we’re on.



Sorry about the image size. If i was home, I could resize it.

Oh, this was my grandfather’s. He was switchman and then yardmaster for Missouri Pacific. The watch was made in 1913.

Not enough options out there, really - either they're cheap or they're antiques. I'd love to have a Victorinox with a clamshell cover for the face. I'd settle for their Travel Clock, but the dang thing weighs a ton.

Not even an option for me because my front pockets are already filled up with ring of keys, iPhone, wallet, coins, and two of the damn fobs. Thankfully at least the phone has a better clock built in than any watch I've ever owned.

I dont EDC it, but I have a white gold Hamilton antique from around 1910 that still keeps great time. Some years ago, LL Bean was selling a pocket watch and I bought one. I then Velcroed it to the instrument panel of my motorcycle. I also did the same thing when my car clock was too small to read.
It still keeps great time.

I carried one years ago. There is something about them I love, maybe the nostalgia that was mentioned.

I’m still looking for a good pocket watch. Anyone have any recommendations?

I was at Jareds and saw a Tissot Swiss-made pocket watch for just over $200. I really want one.

I have several antiques that were owned by my father or grandfather. None run reliably, though I've wanted to get at least one serviced so I can EDC it. Oldest is 1890 or so and newest is 1910. Some Elgins and some from a company in Canton, Oh.

FYI, the Illinois Watch company was ran by the Bunn family. They were close friends with
Abraham Lincoln. A descendant started Bunn O Matic and Bunn coffee makers.

Both Luminox and Armourlite make pocket watches. if i wanted a new one, I would shop those.

Yes sort of-but it is not called a pocket watch, it’s my flip phone, it does Live in my pocket and it does have a clock.

I wear a mechanical/automatic wristwatch by Ball. But recently I've started carrying a back up pocket watch, because two wristwatches seems stupid.

I'm carrying a cheap "Spovan" digital pocket watch. It has a few interesting features. In addition to the usual, time, date, stop watch, and alarm, it also claims to have a functioning altimeter, barometer and compass. Honestly, I doubt the accuracy of the altimeter and barometer, but the compass seems to point mostly northwards, more or less.

I use a pocket watch daily. My wrist watch stays as a desk watch. So, for daily use I have 2 Tissot pocket watches, and for formal occasions( i.e. when I am wearing a suit, or attending a funeral or a wedding etc. I wear my 1942 Hamilton Railroad Grade pocket watch. Initiallt I used a pocket watch because I couldnt wear a wristwatch due to all the chemo infusions, had many tubes stuck to my arms, so I began using a pocket watch. But, over time, I have gotten used to using pocket watches all the time. And because, I cant afford the wristwatches that I like!!!!

I have four of them. Here's my three railroad watches. Posting from my phone, can't figure out how to add images

Mine not only tells the time, but also makes phone calls.

quote:

Originally posted by TMats:

quote:

Originally posted by M1Garandy:
I use a nineteen teens vintage Illinois every day. Every service costs more than it is worth, but I don't care. I have not owned a wristwatch in probably 25 years.

I once carried this watch everyday, but finally, after losing the bow and a watch fob my wife gave me; I put it up. I just recently had it restored but haven’t gone out with a vest, so it stays in a drawer. Maybe I’ll carry it for the Cheyenne Frontier Days Christmas party for the committee we’re on.



Sorry about the image size. If i was home, I could resize it.

Oh, this was my grandfather’s. He was switchman and then yardmaster for Missouri Pacific. The watch was made in 1913.

that's a beauty