Welcome to Time Worn Watches, where we explore the world of antique watches. My particular fields of interest are antique pocket watches and First World War trench watches. In these pages, we will investigate the history of pocket watches and antique timepieces in general. We will also take a look at specific watches in my collection, plus many other fascinating antique watches that are available online. Antiques, in my view, are objects that are at least a hundred years old. I am not an expert or a dealer, just a collector with a passion for antique watches. It is a fascinating and rewarding hobby. We do not sell antique watches.
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Watches
A watch is a portable timepiece that is designed to be carried by a person. It’s a lightweight, portable piece of equipment that evolved from the spring-powered clocks of the 15th century. The earliest watches appeared in the 16th century. Typically, they would have been worn on a pendant or chain around the neck. The earliest wristwatches appeared in the 16th century, but these were considered ornamental and almost exclusively worn by women. In the 17th century, the first pocket watches appeared and these were designed, as the name suggests, to be carried in a pocket. Up until the start of the 20th century, the pocket watch remained predominant for men, with the wristwatch, or wristlet, considered feminine and unmanly.
Pocket watches
Pocket watches were worn by men from the 17th century up until the late 19th century. The trench watch then emerged because of modern military tactics. During the First Boer War in the 1880s, the importance of coordinating troop movements and synchronising attacks against the mobile Boer insurgents became critical. On the battlefield, the wristwatch proved far more accessible than the traditional pocket watch. Therefore, it became the favoured timepiece amongst the officer class. Although pocket watches continued to be used by the pilots in the Royal Flying Corps.
Modern times
Pocket watches are not common in modern times, having been superseded by wristwatches following the First World War. However, pocket watches continued to be widely used in the rail industry even as their popularity declined elsewhere. Some watch manufacturers have continued to produce pocket watches up until the present day. Pocket watches remain a classic formal accessory that can offer a sophisticated option for completing a formal outfit.
We hope you enjoy your visit to Time Worn Watches.
Please note Time Worn Watches does not provide a valuation service. We also get a lot of queries regarding research on particular antique pocket watches. We assist with these requests if time permits.
Time Worn Watches does not collect or store personal information.