I thought I would start a thread about what makes us so passionate about collecting watches. Why did you start collecting and how long have you been involved with watches?

I personally got started a few years ago when my Grandfather gave me some of his collection including his entire horological library, his tool bench, parts, and ephemera related to watches. He worked on the Sante Fe railroad and was a watch inspector and watch repairman. I got the bug from him and have been learning and collecting ever since.

So I guess my reason for collecting is carrying on the family tradition and preserving my Grandfather's legacy for my kids.

What about you?

John III

I had a latent interest in old watches. I purchased several very nice and not-so-old Patek Philippe wristwatches and fairly new Audemars Piguet wristwatch in the early 1980's. This slaked my watch "thirst" for the next 20 years. In 2001, I started searching on eBay for moose antlers for our mountain cabin. I stumbled across pocket watches for sale, and I bid on a few until I finally won one. It was an 18k Fritz Piguet. When it arrived, to my surprise, it was very small. I hadn't known to think about the significance of "34mm." So I had to get another pocket watch. It then became an addiction.

Here is the front of the little devil that started me on this pernicious habit.

And here is the back of it.

Hi John

I've always liked/been interested in/watches, particularly pocket watches. Had a few Westclox Scotties as a kid (they don't hold up to having their crystal broken by a carelessly tossed screwdriver ). Finally got hooked a couple of years ago when a) I was in a play where a couple of fellow actors brought in beautiful watches for their characters, and b) I found an absolutely gorgeous Howard Series 10 in a local antique shop.

What particularly interests me are watches with some sort of "story". For example, I've shown some watches on this site that are PLs for local jewelers. Finding out about the jewelers is fascinating.

Norman

Why do I love thee, Let me count the ways!

1. Too much time on my hands?
2. Watching my collection grow?
3. Cleaning your clock?
4. Spending time saving timepieces?

I am sure I could tick off a few more reasons, but in truth, I just kind of fell into it and it gives me pleasure. I am sure there is ego and natural acquisitiveness in there someplace. The thrill of the hunt and the satisfaction of finding a treasure. The research and discovering information adds another bonus.

There are probably as many reasons as there are collectors. The dealers and investors motives might seem obvious , but without their efforts many of these gems would be lost and deemed unworthy of preservation.

Its just fun!

I collect pocket watches for fun. It's as simple as that. I have always loved things that tick but I found clocks took up to much space. Next came carriage clocks but the prices of those put an end to that and you still need a bit of space. Watches are beyond me cause they are to small and my eyes won't let me play that game. I could let others do the work but for me that would remove a lot of the challenge and so reduce the fun. Thus I was lead to pocket watches and I have enjoyed every moment of it so far. I hope there will be much more fun to come. Being a fellow soothead like Tom has also increased my interest in this field because of the railway connection.

Guys,

Thanks for sharing your watches and why you got into them. Very fascinating how we each have come here from such different circumstances.

Keep them coming.

John III

I was in Glasgow last year on a 'home leave' and looking at antiques. I went into a small auction of pawnbrokers' jewellery, mainly modern gold chains and bracelets and the like. Amongst all these was a Waltham PW. I never had a PW before and I thought it would be nice to have one to carry around.

None of the dozen dealers present in the room was in the least bit interested in the watch, so when I bid there was no competition and I got the watch for 20 Pounds. That set me off.

I now have about 50 watches. I like the historical interest and the challenge of the mechanical side, dismantling, cleaning and reassembling. I did an internet watch course, bought the basic tools and now have a very fulfilling hobby.

The Waltham

15 jewels

The case

No room for more clocks.

I to collect watches due to space considerations but I have room for a couple of additional clocks. I want to be careful what I buy as I know what I want but can't afford what I have found so far.

I still need a good sized wall mount or floor regulator and a Grandfather clock. The Grandfather clock will be easiest to find and afford.

Rick

Watches are (to me) holders of their user's spirit and/or purpose. After reading speculation that the name "watch" originated from those who carried them being "Watchmen", my long smoldering fascination with watches spirituality burst into flame.
Uniquely the pocket watch with it's borne tenacity for being each one a unique (as separate from it's brothers and cousins) fickle and sometimes frustrating BUT serviceable "being", only fuels my fascination with a watch as a "kindred spirit" deserving of a story to be told.
The serviceability of US-made Pocket Watches satisfies my love of restoring things mechanical. Here is a "life" to be lived again! Why not facilitate it so it may continue on it's journey.
Each well-used pocket watch in my "personal" collection has or shall be renovated. All the others I have are also renovated or will be to return them to the flow of guiding other owners through their lives.
When my Grandson thanked me for giving him a completely restored 16s Waltham to take to college, his thankful comment said it all; "These are easier than looking at my cellphone to see what time it is!"
There will always be a place for this rich chapter of Human and American history!

I started because of a mechanical fascination. But now, I collect them because most each and every one has character or a story to tell. Yes uninitialed cases are great, but one given to someone- who were they or why was it given. These start me to wonder...

Guys,

Thanks for sharing. I am learning alot here.

I too have a fascination with watches with a little history. I especially like military Hamiltons. I have a 2974B that is hand engraved inside the back of the case with USS Escape. I was able to look this up and find a history of the ship which was a recovery boat during WWII.

Wikipedia - USS Escape

Imagine if they could talk...

One common thread I am hearing from pocket watch collectors is that they connect us with our past. The mechanical aspects of watches are also appealing, but watches have character and life and are not just an assemblage of parts.

I would also like to hear from some of the ladies in the group on how they got started and why they collect watches.

John III

Tom,

All of us have room for clocks - they are an important part of our lives even for non-collectors. I probably have 20 clocks in my shop and 10x that number of watches, but most people call it the clock shop, not watch shop. I am not a collector, but if I was, I would have to get a bigger place to keep them.

John III

I thought it was only a few years back when I started collecting, but when I really thought about it, I realized that I have had a facination with watches for years and years.
My father had a womans watch, that I think was his mothers, in his top drawer ever since I can remember. When I moved into my own apartment in 1966 I took the watch with me, only to find out later, that it was promised to my sister. I returned the watch, after having it repaired and a new band installed, then years later, my sister gave it back to me.
I mention all this because I realized that it had been a "Family Thing" all along, and it was like taking my family with me when I was on my own.

Many years passed, and then one day I saw a Pansy Wristwatch on ebay, it looked really big for a wristwatch, ( 0s ?) but I liked it, so I bid. I lost the bid, and have never seen it again, but when I saw a pocket watch with the same pansy on the dial, I made sure that I won it that time. I have searched them ever since, and have won all but 2 that I have seen on ebay and other websites.

I can't tell you what makes me crazy over them, but I do like them a lot.

I could look at a movement for hours on end, what can I say, IT'S IN THE BLOOD.

There is essentially nothing that I don't like about watches, other than not having enough of them. The damaskeening, the parts, the lettering, the dials, all of it is my passion.

As Norman mentioned, I too love a watch with a history, and I do all I can to find out about any watch I own with a name on it. I love the research. I search genealogy and trademarks with a passion.

When I spent 19 hours nonstop on searching information on some of my watches, I knew that I was FOREVER HOOKED!

To me it's a lost Art form, and no matter the condition, they are ALL Masterpieces to me.

My interest in the pocket watches, started in June of 1973, I had hired on as a switchman (Yardman) at the Canadian Pacific Railways Alyth yard in Calgary Alberta, and was making student trips before I could mark up on the spare board. When I was hired by the General Yardmaster I was told as a condition of my employment, I would have to buy a railway approved wrist watch or pocket watch. Railway approved wristwatches sold for $175 at that time, when I was making one of my student trips there was an engineer trainee on the job, in conversation he asked me if I had a railway watch. I told him no, he said he knew a watch inspector who had a pocket watch for sale for $50. I always had an allergy from wearing jewelry, rings, chains, and wristwatches where the metal touched my skin would break out in a rash. At that time, Lee jeans had good-sized watch pockets and $50 sounded better than $175 that was quite a bit of money to put out at that time. I went and seen the watch inspector, who sold me a Hamilton 992 for the $50. It was in a very worn gold filled case and ran nicely, it had a 12 hour dial that the watch inspector said he would change to a 24 hour dial for me later. I paid for the watch, and he issued me a watch card, I later found out that the watch inspectors were giving employees $25 off, when they traded in their pocket watch for a new railway wrist watch. This started my interest in Hamilton watches, which came to full circle when I joined the national in 1981, and attended my first regional at Fort Mitchell, Kentucky in 1982.

Larry

I guess it is only fair to add that room was only one factor, a big one, to be sure, but being part of IHC and seeing all the watches presented here really got me interested.

So I guess in some way I have you guys to blame for getting me into this.......hobby.

The mechanical side of clocks is much the same as watches and the satisfaction of getting one working again is great. History applies to clocks as well as watches, although clock history may relate more to a family and watches are pretty much individual items. Clocks are usually not engraved as Christmas or birthday gifts as watches are, but they were an important and treasured item in the household.

I wrote a little photo essay on this subject which you may see at the following link: Grandfather's Watch

Glen, that's a wonderful account of your grandfather and his watch. Stripped of that sort of history, a watch loses its historical context. As much as I like my watches to be in excellent condition, I will gladly accept a bit of wear or an inscription in exchange for some provenance even though my wife Joanne shakes her head sadly saying "how could the family ever have let it go" when I acquire such watch, e.g., a private label "Welsh" V&C with two inscriptions. The first is "To S. Charles Welsh, as a token of grateful appreciation of his constant interest, generosity and assistance to George W. Welsh's Sons, from his sons George W. Welsh and S. Charles Welsh Jr. 1919." The second is "To George W. Welsh 3rd from his father George W. Welsh, August 7, 1941."

I was always interested in how things worked. Watches were no exception. Got my first watch, a Bradley Micky Mouse watch when I was in first grade. Next watch was a Timex wind up in 2nd grade. For Christmas in 4th grade, I recieved a brand new Texas Instruments digital watch. You pushed a button and the time showed in red. The kids at school went crazy when they saw it. I was hooked on watches.

Almost 25 years later I stumbled accross the NAWCC brochure. I couldn't believe that the National Watch and Clock Museum was only an hour and thirty minutes away. The next weekend I made the trip to Columbia and I was blown away. I spent all day their and read every description under every watch, clock and machine.

On my way out, I wanted to do something to help support the museum, so I joined the NAWCC. From then on, I have been building a small collection, and loving every minute of it.

A friend worked in the watch division of Texas Instruments when they first introduced their LED digital watch. It cost $100 and was guaranteed to keep time to about the same accuracy as the Accutron (a little better than the minimum accuracy for a RR watch). I challenged him on his "superior accuracy claims" and bet him that if I kept my pocket watch and one of the new TI watches in the refrigerator over night, mine would do better. I knew my bet was a bit risky: my watch at the time had a bimetallic balance for temperature compensation. These were, of course, less accurate in compensation than the later alloy balance and hair spring as seen on the 992B. I still won the bet.

Glen, I also enjoyed the post about your grandfather's watch. Thanks for sharing.

Joel,

You seem to have left off an important part: You indicate a special interest in Ball watches. Why Ball?

Glen

Like John, my interest started with my granfather's pocketwatch. It is a 12 size Elgin Wheeler which was the only the think I wanted when he passed away. I was 16. My mother finally gave me the watch when I was twenty something. i have been hooked ever since. My problem is mechanically I'm all thumbs so I am a collector. Someday i hope I can learn to do some basic repairs though