Get the best deals on arnex antique pocket watches when you shop the largest online selection at. It has 21 jewels, 16 size, is factory adjusted to keep accurate time in all 6 positions and is leverset. The largest and most complete vintage watch online price guide of its kind. Get the best deals on antique pocket railroad watches when you shop the largest online selection at. There are over 350 different railroad pocket watches that were made between 1866 and 1969 when the last railroad pocket watch was made in america. The inherent accuracy and low cost of production has resulted in the proliferation of quartz clocks and watches since that time. This collectors guide to the railroad pocket watch gives a history of these fascinating collectibles, along with information on railway watch standards, what to look for in a watch and how to value it. Unless a pocket watch is very rare small differences can make a big difference in price. According to antique pocket watch, an online watch publication, testament to the quality of the watches it produced is the fact that most of its watches ended up being bought for use on the railways. Hamilton railroad grade 992b pocket watch 21j, 16s 10k gf bar over crown of. Over 14,000 listings of actual watches that have been sold by us and selected auction results since 1998. These were amongst the highest grade watches made, perhaps being superseded in time keeping quality only by presentation watches and navigational chronometers. The railroad pocket watch is a distinctive and valuable addition to anyones collection. How to determine the value of a pocket watch catawiki.
Its watches had 42hour mainsprings, with 17 jewels in their isochronous movements. The hamilton 992b railway special is a highquality railroad pocket watch. The specific definition of railroad grade evolved quite a bit over the years. A closeup view of an illinois 18 size 15 jewel rail road king nickel pocket watch movement. I recently picked up one of hamiltons finest railroad watches a 21 jewel, 16 size 992b. Maybe some historian knows more and can tell us further. Lees original 14k gold watch, it might have some additional value, based on its historical significance. A comprehensive price and identification guide to railroadiana. The watch is a 21 jeweled pocket watch in working order. The surface of the watch has numbers to indicate each marker except for the number 6 which has another seconds dial on the bottom. Hamilton made a variety of pocket watch movements after the turn of the last century.
The adds below are all pre 1940 adds for the hamilton 992 without the b or other models from that time. Wonderfully early 18 size pocket watch by hamilton watch company, featuring a gorgeous doublesunk porcelain dial, extrafancy blued hands and a solid nickel, 21 ruby jeweled movement and expressive damsaskeening. New pocket watch fob red santa fe railroad fob with black leather strap. If you have just entered the wiki, please see our pocket trains wiki homepage. These railroadgrade pocket watches, as they became colloquially known, had to. The new collectors i guide to pocket watches preface as with any specialized field, pocket watch collecting has its own terminology, and it is not always easy for the novice collector to. Railroad grade pocket watches explained the vortic blog. Specializing in vintage railroad grade pocketwatches compare our price and quality our 22nd year online est. Get the best deals on ball antique pocket watches when you shop the largest. Manage and grow multiple railroads by hauling important cargo around the world. A watch, for instance that is made from platinum will always be valuable for the value of the scrap platinum alone. Here you will find everything from a nice watch to carry in your pocket to investmentgrade rarities and almost anything in between. How to determine the value of a pocket watch stories news how to determine the value of a pocket watch. Due to this incident a rule was made that railroad workers must have pocket watches that have standard time in all railroad tracks.
This is an article written by antiques writer mike mcleod, who has kindly given us permission to feature this and other interesting and informative articles in antique pocket watch. Pristine waltham railroad pocket watch 23 jewel vanguard. This alloriginal waltham railroad pocket watch in excellent condition and a rare find with one of the most desired configurations. To find out how much your pocket watch is worth, you need to know who the manufacturer is and how old it is. Having always been interested in trains, and in mechanical timepieces, this is a topic of considerable interest to me. What is the value of a timex taiwan railroad pocket watch. According to antique pocket watch, an online watch publication, testament to the quality of the watches it produced is the fact that most of its. This is a fine example of highquality manufacturing from longines a. Railroad pocket watches o gauge railroading on line forum. A traditional railroad illinois watch for collectors or users alike. In this section, you will find a nice selection of vintage railroad grade elgin or the earlier national watch co.
If you are new to collecting pocket watches my best advice is to take your time, even buying from me. This does not include the numerous varieties of dials and cases used on the railroad watches. The value is partially dependent on nice it looks and. Buy products related to railroad pocket watch products and see what customers say about railroad pocket watch products on free delivery possible on eligible purchases. Over the years the watch companies specialized in providing railroad watches to meet this need. Ben, you seem to know your stuff when it comes to pocket watches. No matter what youre looking for or where you are in the world, our global marketplace of sellers can help you find unique and affordable options. Many llustratons show ral roaders with their trusty timepiece, so much in fact that the pocket watch has become almost as much of a railroad symbol as.
New listing ball hamilton 21j 16s fancy pattern back ball case railroad pocket watch. Discusses the watches produced by the ball watch company, and the work of webb c. Rarity as a rule, the rarer a watch the higher the value. Youll find new or used products in antique pocket watches on ebay. The new collectors 2 guide to pocket watches although water may appear to drip at a steady, fixed rate, in fact the more water is in the vessel the faster it leaks out due to the pressure exerted by the weight of the water. Check out our hamilton pocket watch selection for the very best in unique or custom. Collect parts to construct all the different train types from steamers to diesels, and complete daily events to unlock special trains beyond imagination. Did you know that in 1675 it was charles ii of england who inspired the wearing of a pocket watch inside the pocket. Offered with heavy yellow goldfilled railroad grade chain and unusual goldore fob. The value of an antique pocket watch often comes down to manufacturer, condition, type of metal used and the numbers of a particular watch made.
Somewhere between the classic pocket watches of the 1800s and those made today, you can find design characteristics that harken back to the era of the elegant old antique railroad pocket watches. Youll find new or used products in arnex pocket watches on ebay. This is worth considering when looking at the value of damaged or broken watches. Each train type has distinct statistics that determine its capability. How to value your waltham pocket watch flux magazine. Solid gold antique pocket watches with 15 jewels 19001909 year of manufacture. If i see you use a sharp knife to open a case i will slap you silly.
Illinois pocket watches pocket watch, wristwatches. Seiko introduced wrist watches with a quartz movement in the early1970s. A pocket watch or pocketwatch is a watch that is made to be carried in a pocket, as opposed. Hamilton 992b railroad pocket watch, hamilton railway special. This hamilton railroad service watch came with its original celluloid stamp holder. In 1893, the hamilton watch company of lancaster, pennsylvania began producing pocket watches primarily for railroad workers. While there are watches that look like railroad watches with 17 or less jewels, these were made as less expensive imitations for the general public. Brief history of the ball watch company including serial numbers and production dates. Good pocket watches of high accuracy became badges of office for railroaders. There were no swiss or japanese railroad pocket watches. The hamilton watch company made this model 950 railroad conductors watch around 1918. Re zenith pocket railroad extra rr a short excerpt from my article peter kushnir former cpr master watchmaker ordered zenith pocket watches and were to be delivered to him in 4 months. Learn about vintage and antique pocket watches all about vintage pocket watch dials part 2 dial styles, ornate dials, railroad dials, and hamilton melamine dials.
A pocket watch or pocketwatch is a watch that is made to be carried in a pocket, as opposed to a wristwatch, which is strapped to the wrist they were the most common type of watch from their development in the 16th century until wristwatches became popular after world war i during which a transitional design, trench watches, were used by the military. Just a suggestion, but im sure there are many guys out there like myself who have wanted an authentic, reliable pocket watch but do not have the knowledge to justify spending a couple hundred bucks on one of these and guarantee it not to be a crap shoot. A railroad employee bought the finest he could afford. His conclusion, for what its worth, was that, when it came to railroad. To get a better feel of which watches are particularly successful at our auctions, take a look at some of the most expensive pocket watches to have sold on catawiki. See todays waltham pocket watches for sale, best offer and auction. Oftentimes featuring a roman numeral face, these watches are timeless and often will appreciate in value. Before this, timepieces were worn around the neck, but it was charles iis love. The last american railroad pocket watch was the grade 992b sold by the hamilton watch co. I think i covered all of the different types of cases. The romance of the railroad adds value to the railroad pocket.
Antique pocket watch value photo guide the spruce crafts. Hamilton did however post 992b pocket watch adds in specific railroad magazines. Few images are more iconic of the golden age of american railroading than that of the train conductor dutifully checking his pocket watch. Railroad pocket watches archives the pocket watch guy. The hamilton 992 is the most successful of all hamilton pocket watch movements. A real railroad watch is 16 size by the original spec. North american railroad approved, railway regulation standard, train pocket gotham mens silvertone railroad polished finish covered quartz pocket watch bulova mens stainless steel analogquartz pocket watch model. As early as the 1860s, railroad companies collaborated with american watch manufacturers to produce precision watches for conductors and. I started out collecting pocket watches but moved on to wrist watches, as i could enjoy them a lot more by wearing them every day. Shop ebay for great deals on antique pocket watches. Second elgin watch with a white metal fob, 46mm face free of cracks, silveroid case, movement serial number 6688368. The 16size watch has 23 jewels, motor barrel 1634902, and was adjustable to five positions. Read some more on the history of railroad watches here.
Pair of railroad pocket watches, ruxton railroader incabloc, 17 jewels, 38mm face free of cracking, gold fill case. And, contrary to common belief, there were many regulations in place before webb c. In order to establish watch value, you will need to first. Whatever the case may be, railroad pocket watches are still in great demand by many collectors. This is a 1919 elgin watch, 18 size, in good shape and in working condition. A railroad grade pocket watch is simply a watch that was approved by a particular railroad organization for use by conductors on their rail. Do you often wonder what the actual value of antique pocket watches is. After decades of disastrous railroad collisions due to the lack of coordination between different lines, railroad companies realized that accurate timekeeping was crucial to helping ensure the safe and efficient operation of the nations railroad networks. Download firefox now time machine recommends mozilla. It was important to keep trains running in a timely manner both for the convenience of. Waltham riverside 21 jewel railroad grade pocket watch 614420. Thomas jr would push the company to start making pocket watches a quarter of a century later, in 1883.
Gotham mens goldplated stainless steel mechanical hand wind railroad style. Folks we have a truly special offering for your consideration with this antique american waltham 23 jewel vanguard pocket watch circa 1908. Etsy is the home to thousands of handmade, vintage, and oneofakind products and gifts related to your search. After many years of buying and selling pocket watches i have learnt a few principles from experience for evaluating the value of antique pocket. Shop forand learn aboutantique railroad pocket watches. This applies to waltham watches as well as watches by other manufacturers. How to determine value of waltham watches lovetoknow.
Make offer hamilton railroad grade 992b pocket watch 21j, 16s 10k gf bar over crown of. New pocket watch fob lehigh valley railroad fob with black leather strap. New pocket watch fob union pacific railroad fob with black leather strap. From the creators of pocket planes comes pocket trains.
Heres an up to date reference of pocket watch prices taken from sales on ebay that will help you to research real time prices this page will eventually grow to be quite long, so rather than rearange everything into pocket watch makes, heres a handy search tool for this page only. Thus the birth of railroad pocket watch, also known as standard pocket watch. Railroads were at the forefront of the effort to standardize timekeeping in the late 1800s. Railroad pocket watches by gadfly thu dec 06, 2012 6. Stop reading and start constructing your railroad empire in pocket trains. Possibly the most important thing to know about railroad pocket watches is that just because theres an engraving of a train on the case, that doesnt make it a railroad pocket watch. He designed with zenith the movement and the dials were to be 500 pieces montgomery style enamel and 500 pieces canadian. Sizes ranged from ladies 0sizes up through 18size, hamiltons largest movements. Ball to create the general railroad timekeeping standards. Railroad grade watches had to meet strict guidelines to ensure their reliability and accuracy. In 2010, demand for pocket watches was increasing while supply was decreasing. But i still have a soft spot for a nice pocket watch or even notsonice ones too.
Railroad pocket watch, open face, arnex parrenin 40. Each railroad either established their own requirements and had its own inspection service, or contracted an inspection service to ensure that all watches in use by specified personnel meet standard requirements. Waltham riverside 21 jewel railroad grade pocket watch. Hamilton model 950 pocket watch national museum of. Railroad grade vintage mens elgin pocket watches in this section, you will find a nice selection of vintage railroad grade elgin or the earlier national watch co. Money back guarantee ensures you receive the item you ordered or get your money back. But barring ownership by a president or a superhero, the story of the watch doesnt play into pricing. Real railroad watches were speced to have 19 jewels or more. How to open up an old pocket watch case, screw on and snap. Season 12 episode 11 2m 54s check out kevin zavians appraisal of a 1926 waltham railroad pocket. The model 5 pocket watch was launched in 1893 as seth thomass flagship railroad pocket watch and companys first fullplate openface watch. A large number of pocket watch collectors focus on railroad watches. Weve compiled a curated assortment of items for sale at hard to beat costs. A closeup view of an illinois 18 size rail road king pocket watch dial marked special for railway service.