About a year ago a boy in my class brought a quartz pocket watch to school, I thought it was pretty neat so I desided to take appart a quartz watch out of curiosity that my dad got as a present from work (he didn't care). About a week later I went to a Sunday flee market and low and beholde I saw 2 pocket watches a woman was selling, I had R400 ($45) in my pocket an desided to buy one, one was a Waltham traveler and the other a English fusee, I bought the Waltham because it was the only one I could open and I thought the patterns on the movement where so cool, but now I really regret buying the Waltham because the English fusee was fully jeweled with Liverpool windows and much more decorated, but I couldn't get it open and was too excited about getting A pocket watch. That night I caught the bug... I love both collecting and repairing watches but I've broken about 2 watches that I could have otherwise saved so I am now really scared about repairing watches. I don't really know why I collect but I think it is to some extent fueled buy my love of the Victorian era ( mostly influenced by Sherlock Holmes) and my love of mechanical gadgets ( and what's more mechanical than a watch). Thank you good sirs, Francesco.

I grew up in a Watch orientated family. My Uncle Stan was trained at the Elgin Factory to be a watchmaker. He did not like factory work so, living in Rockford Illinois he opened his own Jewelry store in 1926 and got a contract with Rockford Watch Co to sell for repair and represent for them. He soon was selling Hamilton's, Elgins, Walthams, Rockford's, and Illinois Watches. I can remember watching him in 1946 working at his bench with a Bunsen burner and other tools repairing watches for people. Thats the year he came home with a brand new Studebaker Commander. WOW! What a car that was. It's also the same year my Grandpa gave me two 18s watches. 1 Elgin and 1 Waltham. He had a new Hamilton 16s. I promptly lost the Waltham and stored the Elgin. Mom and I moved to Seattle and I forgot about family in Rockford. In 2000 Uncle Stan died and it reminded me of the Elgin so I dug it out and it would not run. I unscrewed the back and promptly thought WOW! Can I really fix this. Well if Uncle Stan could do it I could too. I now have over a hundred watches of which at least half are for repair. You have chosen a good, clean hobby. Just don't spend you lunch money on watches. They are kind of hard to chew on.

I started with 3 inherited pocket watches, an 18S Bunn Special, a Hamilton 940 and a 17-jewel 12S Waltham. I don't know the exact number I have now, but it must be at least 200. My main emphasis is on Hamilton, Ball and Illinois railroad watches.

Why do I collect watches? The short answer is because I like them.
The long answer is to keep from going insane. After injuring my back at work I had a lot of time on my hands. So I started looking into things to keep myself occupied. I bought a few watches on ebay and I was hooked on the collecting part.
I soon found that the watches needed to be maintained. My mind was always good at figuring out how mechanical things worked so I thought I would teach myself to fix broken watches and do my own maintenance. So I read everything I could on the subject. I took one of the watches I got on ebay apart, cleaned it, and reassembled it. It worked. Now about 400 watches later I am learning that I have much more to learn. But thats the fun of this hobby always something interesting to learn and discuss.

Francesco, You did well with this post. I hope our shared dreams give you more to learn from too.

In my case, starting with a love of why and how all things work, then enjoying a life that combined Physics, Precision Machines and all aspects of Manufacturing processes, I thought "we had it all" . . . until I saw these "antique" Pocket watches! Clearly I had missed a BIG piece of our history!

THEN . . . I saw my Great Grandfather Cleveland Abbe's Two sided Patek Philippe minute repeater with perpetual calendar dials on the back. Learning this was made (for him) in the early 1870's led me to question WHEN we "had it all"? I am sure it is not really today!

Over a Century ago there were people who could out-do our finest engineers and who performed precise mechanical miracles WITHOUT "CNC", CADCAM" and other Imagination numbing artifacts of our present presumed "superior technical" existence.

( People, think of this another way . . . WHO can say that ANYBODY ON EARTH today using a computer could imagine, design, BUILD AND FLY a P51 Mustang in less than 90 days! )

Clearly to me this was a shock, and more clearly it was a challenge to learn more and more, and more . . . (and collect a whole lot of watches!)

The experience of restoring these extraordinarily precise instruments of time has taught me truly respectful Humility for those who came before us and easily excelled in skills and design capabilities we are trying to reach for again today.

Good question, but a complicated answer.

I've liked watches for a few years. I picked up my first "good" watch in 2000, a brand new automatic Longines wristwatch. I came very close to buying a two-tone Rolex submariner, but couldn't justify the 3X price so settled for the Longines. Fast forward 12 years and I was looking at watches and saw the same Rolex I almost purchased sold used for twice the price of 12 years ago, and realized that watch would have outpaced several of my investments while providing me something cool to wear. I then looked up the Longines, and a couple (used) sold for 3X the 2000 price and the seed was planted.

A few weeks later I was at a party and talking to a friend about watches and he asked me what "jewels" meant for watches, and while I vaguely knew they were bearings of some sort, I didn't really know.

I set off to answer the question, and thus the compulsion began.

My father had a store that sold it all in Lackawanna NY. Velvet elvises, tools, furniture, jewelry, carpet and bikes and so on....and watches. I would get one all the time. Loved them. Then I found a wholesale place to order old seikos and such, 40% on the dollar. long story continued that transcended into 300 vintage wristwatches and a business in watches. They amaze me. 200 years before cars were a thought watches were dinging on the minute. as my ebay name says - watchrules4me - as in watches rule!!!

My all time prize which actually belongs to my son as soon as he marries is my fathers, fathers, fathers watch - it is an old 12s Waltham, 14k good but the true treasure of the watch and one of the reasons I do this.....in the back of the watch I found a photo of my great grandfather from the 1800's and was blown away. here was a great photo of a man who made it possible for me to be alive one day.

I have never posted pictures, I think I need to soon. people pass down watches through generations, not much else. It just makes my day to think my son willie will be holding his great grandfather willie's fathers watch one day. He will get it when he gets married. My nephew David has my grandfather David's masonic Illinois. each grandson got a watch. Us son's did not. that was my fathers wish. I think I clearly understand why.

very well put Andy !!! Many of my family were sailors and fishermen,navigating through use of the marine chronometer and the compass. In both peace and war it was impossible to navigate the ocean safely without both, and even with them it was a highly hazardous venture. As a result I had a love for deck watches and chronometers.4 family lost at sea through enemy action in two wars,1 in WW1,3 in WW2,and gosh knows how many before that.Many others served in the army, navy and air force and survived.

I will get photos up soon. Hey Tom, you ever spend 999.00 on a watch just to see it? I just did!!!!

I collect because it represents something that you don't see very often in todays culture. Years ago folks would save weeks worth of salary to go and buy a watch with the intention of it being an 'heirloom' that was passed to children's children. Nowadays everything is temporary, throwaway, rip & replace etc. "if it breaks toss it and buy another"

No value on having anything long term and appreciating what you have. Its a lesson thats lost of a lot of folks today.

My father was a fisherman and as a small boy I
visited his vesel and look at all the gages compas
and the big watch in box.
10 years later I became apprentice in watchmaker shop in Poland after few months of "working" there
my family was force to leave the country.
We move to USA and as far as I can remember I was always buying and trading wrist watches because
of my short experience with them and knowing some
brands till one day I found this huge pocket watch
in garage sale and here I'm today now you all know my story.

Well put Joseph, I was thinking exactly the same thing last night .

Francesco, its nice to see a younger generation expressing interest in the hobby!