About 30 years ago I got tired of having wristwatches that would not keep running. I didn't have the money or inclination to buy a real high end watch, so I told my wife I would like to just get a good, sturdy, reliable used pocket watch. I had no idea that people collected them. She got me this watch at a farm sale. It didn't run, but was obviously complete. We took it to an old watchmaker in Galesburg named Nord.

He repaired it for very little money. It has run since then as it did when it left the factory. This in itself fascinated me, but added to that was the idea that the original owner had left subtle signs of his own use, his own character that were a part of the watches history.
My mother-in-law actually encouraged me to begin collecting. She was interested in antiques, herself, and probably considered this hobby to be one of the least harmful vices that a young man could have.
I would like to see the first watch from other people's collections, and if you have a story to go with it I would like to hear it.

Thanks,
Steve Gossard

Hello Steve,

My first watch was a 7j Elgin housed in a Silveroid Case. The photos are attached below....

The watch belonged to my maternal Grandfather and he passed on in 1959, I was 17 years old....

My Grandmother asked me if there was anything of his that I wanted and I said I wanted his watch and his King Nitro double barrel shotgun. She said okay....

This watch is the one that started me collecting watches.... and will remain in the family long after I'm gone....

Regards,
Jerry

The movement;

Rear of the watch;

Here you can see my first pocket watch and read its story: Link to my first pocket watch

This was the one that got me started. It belonged to my Grandfather who passed it down to my father who then gave it to me. As far as I know, it was the way my grandfather had originally bought it. It is a Bunn 16 size, 19 jewel 60 HOUR which I am speculating was purchased in the 1930's. I am basing this on the Hamilton style dial and as these were sold uncased, I am assuming the jeweler gave my Grandfather a deal on a used Ball case. I still have it and will probably pass it on to my nephew, my fathers grandson.

Steve

I have no ancestral tales to tell. My story is a simple one. On a whim, I bought a pocket watch on eBay. For a first purchase, I actually did very well in all but one respect. I acquired a very nice 18k "Fritz Piguet." Fritz Piguet, I later learned from an Antiquorom catalog, "specialized in making superbly adjusted watches and supplied ebauches to most of the major watchmakers during the middle of the 19th Century, including Patek Philippe. They worked at Rue Bonnivard 10, Geneve. They were associated with the firm of Bachman as Fritz Piquet and Bachman."

But when I purchased this watch, I was too ignorant to pay any attention to the size of the watch. It turned out to be about a size 6 --34mm in diameter.

You can guess the rest of the story. I had to buy another pocket watch to get a man-sized one. After that, the dam burst and I needed no other reasons to buy more.

These are great stories and fine watches. I like the personal aspect that brought us all into the collecting game. Thanks, everyone, for responding!

Steve G.

About 6 years ago,my wife asked me what I would like for Christmas,and I had been thinking about getting myself an old pocket watch to carry,so I told her to get me an antique pocket watch. She told me it was a hard search,but she finally found this one in a pawn shop. The Jeweler at the shop had taken a personal interest in this watch when it came in,and he serviced it and adjusted it,and had just put it in the case to sell,a little while before she came in. It dates to 1900,and is in as new condition. Soon after getting it,I decided it was too nice to carry everyday,so I started to look for an everyday watch to carry. Well I bought a 14 size open faced Waltham,that didn't work,and with absolutely no previous experience,I took it apart,found the problem,oiled it up a bit,it started running(a very high point in my life),and I got hooked,and now I have about 200-250 antique watches.

The case

The front

The movement,by the way,it is a 16 size.

When I was about 12, for about $12.00 I purchased a used Gruen wristwatch with a squarish dial which my father took to Hudson's in Minneapolis and had them clean and time it. My Gruen kept me "on time" for about 10 years until financial necessity caused me to sell it (while at school). Not much later I wound up in Singapore on a short "trip" to Cambodia and my Dad bought me a Brand new Longines automatic Conquest with date. I still have that and the sales receipt warranty.
To finish the "first watch" part, a few years back memories of the nifty Pocket watch my Dad had (my Great Grandfather's Patek Philippe minute Repeater) brought me to look at Pocket watches too. The only "American" name that came to mind was Gruen. So I got this; (sorry these are old pictures)

That's a great watch, Dave. It's interesting how the technology went to developing thinner and thinner watches, and now the most high-line wrist watches are complicated mechanisms that are as thick as a light bulb.