Luxury Watch History: The Mens Pocket Watch

The pocket watch was originally a symbol of influence and social power

. These luxury watches, developed around the1400s, was the most commonly used time-keeping device for centuries, until a shift in popularity to the wristwatch after the first World War. In fact, the pocket watch was at one point just an important part of the culture, that mens suits were specifically designed to accommodate the luxury watch style.

This pocket, usually in the vest of a mens three-piece-suit, usually attached to a chain (keeping the typically expensive designer watch from being dropped by the more-clumsy of wearers), and often had other day-to-day items of the time connected as attachments, such as cigar cutters and the luxury watch winding key.

While many designers and watchmakers have come up with hundreds of thousands of different pocket luxury watch designs, there are two basic mens pocket watch styles: the open-face watch and the hunter-case watch.

The open-face watch has this name because it was no cover, or "face" on top shielding it. An interesting fact about the open-watch style: Around 1908, all American railroad employers required their service watches be open-face watches.

Hunter-Case pocket watches differ in they have spring-hinged lids that are included to offer a level of protection to the luxury watch. Dust and dirt often cause damage to a proper luxury watch, and the advantage of a Hunter-Case pocket watch is that the lid offers protection from such situations.

Theres also a version called a "half-hunter," which is a style of pocket watch that contains a lid with a glass-panel, which allows for a view of the hands, as well as the protection offered to all hunter-case style designer watches.

During the 1600s, watchmakers started getting more creative with their watch-creations. It was during this era of watchmaking that the practice of having watchmakers sign the dials of their creations began.

It was in the 18th century that watchmakers began using oil as a means for smoother hand-movement. And by the 19th century, nearly all luxury watches being made consisted of three hands. Because of this tiny advancement that seems minuscule today, watch users were offered a chance to be more accurate in time-keeping than ever before.

But it was during World War I that the mens pocket watch began to tumble in popularity. See, initially the wrist watch was seen as a feminine product. That all changed when the army started giving their soldiers wristwatches, discovering it was easier to stay alive when you didnt have to reach into your pocket to figure out what time it was. To consider a part of a soldiers uniform "unmanly" was obviously a ridiculous notion, and because of this watchmakers started producing mens designer wrist watches following the wars conclusion.

Convenience has been taken over class, and the pocket watch has never fully rebounded in popularity. Though still used by railroaders and in different sorts of fashion, the wristwatch is now king over the pocket watch, and it seems doubtful that the pocket watch will ever reach such high popularity levels once more.

by: Mark Etinger

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