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      | A pocket watch holds time like a genie in a bottle.
A large "Regulateur" pocket watch from Western Switzerland, circa 1900, in a coin silver case with side hand setting button near the pendant. The movement is 24 lignes in diameter. Overall diameter of the case is 65 mm. There are separate wheel bridges and an anchor escapement, and the watch has an enamel dial and pierced gold hands. The watch chain is very heavy with a coin silver compass fob that has an engraved anchor detail. The pocket watch stand is also circa 1900. Made by James W. Tufts of Boston of Warranted Quadruple Plate, it features a small bull terrier.
This is a Conestoga pocket watch. With a coin silver case, it is a keywind, keyset "Swiss Fake" that was made in Switzerland to look like an American watch. Its holder is a small engraved silver pocket watch stand.
A Dunand quarter-hour repeater, made in Switzerland, displayed in a small engraved silver pocket watch stand. Note slide lever to the left of "8" which activates the chimes.
This watch, with the unusual "log and twig" design numbers, was sold by Sommer&Pierik of Springfield, Illinois, possibly for a member of the Woodsmen of the World Lodge.
A multi-color gold, clamshell cased ladies Elgin. There is bird motif on both sides of the case.
This is a Swiss made minute repeater. The chain has bloodstone in the links and an Elks Lodge Elk Tooth for a fob. With a minute repeater, you could tell the time to the minute through audible chimes. It also has a chronograph stop watch with a separate start and stop button. Note in the movement, the centrifugal governor that regulates the speed of the chimes.
A gorgeous tri-color gold hunting case watch made by Columbus Watch Company of Columbus, Ohio. Note the multicolored movement also.
A very plain cased quality Howard watch made by E. Howard Watch Company of Boston, Mass.
An 18th century English Fusee, Verge Pair Case Watch made by Thomas Wagstaffe, a Quaker watchmaker working from Gracechurch Street in London. I have read that this type of watch was sometimes carried to America for trade within the colonies. We marvel at the pride of craftsmanship shown inside this type of watch.
If you didn't wear a watch chain and you didn't have a pocket, then perhaps you would want a button-hole watch. Made in Switzerland by B. Schlesinger, it has a 1 jewel movement. This unique watch could be worn on the lapel of a suit with the main movement concealed under the lapel and only the small watch face showing.
Two very special "pocket watches" which came to us as special gifts. Both pieces are made of pressed glass with painted detailing. We've heard two descriptions about the piece on the left. First, it is known that these painted glass pocket watches were used as fill-in display pieces by jewelers. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, jewelers usually had special pocket watch display cases with watch shaped indentions to hold each pocket watch. When a watch was sold, a painted glass "dupe" would be put in its place to make the display look complete. From a distance, it looked just like another pocket watch. We've also read about a more sinister use of these -- as Shills -- "dupes" which were used by unscrupulous, usually itinerant peddlers who traveled across the country, working out of wagons or from horseback. Again, from a distance, these "dupes" looked just like real gold watches and they would be prominently displayed in open boxes stacked somewhere behind the peddler. The peddler would work the crowd, using a real gold watch that people could hold in their hand to see it up close. Once they agreed to purchase one, the peddler's assistant took down one of the boxes which he would then close and wrap "right before the buyer's eyes". Only when the buyer got home and opened the box, did he discover that he had been had! The second piece is a candy container. These were sold in the early 1900s with tiny pieces of hard candy inside them. Molded along the edge of the glass is PAT APPLD FOR. On the back is a flat, metal, screw down cover like on many of the early pocket watches. Can you imagine getting such a wonderful container of candy when you were a kid?
More Pocket Watches to come. Please come again!
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