# Seiko 19



## 7ygixop (Mar 28, 2010)

I'm hoping that somebody can help me in selecting a nice pocket watch.

I have been on a hunt for a new wristwatch of which the parts and movement are made in Japan. However nowadays watches that are purely made in Japan seem to be an extreme rarity. I was under the impression that Grand Seiko watches were purely Japanese, but have found out from a watch enthusiast that they also contain Chinese parts. Seiko won't tell me openly if their watches are purely Japanese so it leads me to believe that they have something to hide. If the parts and movement was just made in Japan, I am sure they would be open about it.

Recently because I am a bit of a Japanofile and keen on things that are made domestically in Japan, I have been introduced to Japanese pocket watches. Price wise they are so cheap compared to wristwatches and are just as beautiful.




























When the Japanese railways were owned by the government and not advertised, I believe that the conductors and train drivers were issued these watches. On the back of the watches you can see the year they were made, the area of Japan they were made and used. There are hand wound, automatic and quartz watches issued during the time the government ran the trains.

Hear are some of the prices;

Quartz

78 Pounds

Hand wound

142 Pounds

Automatic

157 Pounds

Chronograph

220 Pounds

As I am really new to pocket watches, is there something that I need to look out for and is it better to get a certain year than another?


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## Shangas (Jan 27, 2008)

Quartz is accurate, cheap and easy to look after. But it probably won't have the weight and heft and solidity of a mechanical watch.

Hand-wound mechanical won't be as accurate (that's not to say they're junk), but they'll be nice and solid. But don't bang them around, they don't like that.

I'd be rather weary of buying a self-winding pocket-watch: Unlike wristwatches, pocket-watches don't exactly move around very much. It's the movement of the watch that winds it up. A pocket-watch that sits on your desk or inside your waistcoat pocket for 12 hours a day isn't going to get much movement.

Chronograph...I really don't know...but I reckon they'd be cool.

By the way, this might interest you:



















A guy in Japan took this photo of the locomotive-cab while he was riding on the train there. That's the engineer's railroad pocket-watch sitting on the control-panel! The date of the photo is 2006.


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## 7ygixop (Mar 28, 2010)

Thank you for the advice *Shangas*. I think I will go for an automatic or many a chronograph. I'm not entirely sure about the condition of the watch, as the gentleman who sells them seems to have a huge collection. You have to write to him and tell him which year you would like to buy. Also what area for example West Japan (Kansai).

I think I would prefer to have it on display on my desk as I would be a little worried about it getting damaged in my pocket. It is far to hot to wear a waistcoat when it is 40â„ƒ degrees outside and so humid.

That's a nice photo you have there. I think it is nice how the train drivers still use pocket watches. I think they are still issued them when they start, not sure if they can keep them.

All the trains in Japan (apart from the bullet train and other express type trains) have an open window so you can see what the train driver is doing. One would expect to see them occasional having a snack or reading a magazine but they are so methodical. All the drivers I have seen have a similar pocket watch to the one in your photo and there is always a special hole to fit the watch in. Recently their have been an influx of younger drivers including women (which wasn't allowed before) and they also have pocket watches. I think it is nice to see the younger people keeping the tradition going. Although I think they just use quartz watches now, however it's still nice to see.



Shangas said:


> Quartz is accurate, cheap and easy to look after. But it probably won't have the weight and heft and solidity of a mechanical watch.
> 
> Hand-wound mechanical won't be as accurate (that's not to say they're junk), but they'll be nice and solid. But don't bang them around, they don't like that.
> 
> ...


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## Shangas (Jan 27, 2008)

If you intend to use a pocket-watch as a desk-clock, then don't waste your money on an automatic watch. They NEED physical movement to operate...it's not going to get that by sitting on your desk.

Buy a quartz or a mechanical one if you want a pocket-watch.


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