# A "ticking" Of Pocket Watches?



## Will Fly (Apr 10, 2012)

A pic of part of my pocket watch collection - apologies for the larger-than-usual-size - which I've given the collective name of a "ticking". :lol:


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## Stinch (Jul 9, 2008)

Lovely collection (or part collection) Will. I like the Hamilton 23 1942 but you're probably going to say 'Oh no that's not the best one!'


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## AVO (Nov 18, 2012)

Fabulous collection - the Waltham 625 (1918) would be my pick. :buba:


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## luckywatch (Feb 2, 2013)

Good lord! What a treat. The Hamilton with the 24 hour inner dial would be my pick. Thanks for showing.


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## JWL940 (Jun 11, 2010)

WOW, I'll reserve picking my favourite until I've seen the backs! What have you started Will?


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## Will Fly (Apr 10, 2012)

Hey - I'd love to see your collections too! I have to say that my "favourites" change from time to time. I suppose, if push came to shove, I'd keep - as a "one-only" watch choice - the Hamilton "G.C.T" chronograph... or would it be the 4992B...? Oh, bugger! :sweatdrop:


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## Roger the Dodger (Oct 5, 2009)

My 'collection' doesn't amount to much...a Waltham



A Hamilton.....



and a rare Masonic dialled Elgin from when I used to belong to the 'funny handshake' brigade....


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## Shiner (Mar 2, 2011)

About two thirds of these are Railroad Grade.


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## Will Fly (Apr 10, 2012)

That's a wonderful collection Shiner - what criteria do you use when buying? I go mainly for Railroad Grade/Military - or anything else not in those categories that just takes my fancy. I'm not particularly taken by hunter or half-hunter watches, and I tend to avoid key wind.


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## JWL940 (Jun 11, 2010)

That Shiner is very impressive, how long has it taken to put the collection together? I'll put my motley collection up for viewing when my latest acquisition is back in my hands.


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## Shiner (Mar 2, 2011)

Will Fly said:


> That's a wonderful collection Shiner - what criteria do you use when buying? I go mainly for Railroad Grade/Military - or anything else not in those categories that just takes my fancy. I'm not particularly taken by hunter or half-hunter watches, and I tend to avoid key wind.


I tend to concentrate mainly on Waltham 1883 and 1892 model railroad grade, but like you I sometimes go off at a tangent and buy something that I take a fancy to. For instance I have one of the last 100 key wind 1883s that were produced in one of the last 18 size silver cases made by Dennison and a Waltham Airedale of which only 250 were ever made. Both key wind and only 7 jewels but very hard to find. I also like the top class ladies pendant watches with 17 jewel movements. Most of these watches only had 7 jewel movements as they were classed mainly as jewellery but usually came in gold cases.



JWL940 said:


> That Shiner is very impressive, how long has it taken to put the collection together? I'll put my motley collection up for viewing when my latest acquisition is back in my hands.


It's hard to say really because I am continually upgrading. I probably buy a couple a month and sell three to help finance the two. It gets more difficult as time goes on because I sometimes get to the stage where I really don't want to sell any, and then another gem comes along! The collection has once ot twice gone over the hundred mark and then I have a blitz and grit my teeth and move a lot on.


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## AVO (Nov 18, 2012)

Well, I'm really impressed, Will and Shiner. I started my collection a couple of weeks ago with a nice silver Lip, and I'm very taken with it.

Ideally I'd like to start putting together a collection focusing on English watches. Any guidance would be much appreciated as to the sort of thing I should be looking for. :buba:


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## Will Fly (Apr 10, 2012)

AVO - one of the commonest and yet collectable English pocket watches is "The English Lever Movement" by J.G. Graves of Sheffield, particularly if in a nice Victorian or Edwardian silver casing. Chester silver is always an extra. You should be able to pick one up on eBay in good condition without too much trouble.


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## bowie (Mar 12, 2005)

They all look nice to me. bowie


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## Shiner (Mar 2, 2011)

Many years ago when I first started to take an interest in collecting pocket watches my first instinct was to go for English made watches that were in my price range. These consisted mainly of fusee movements and the later English lever movements, but I became a little disappointed because I soon realised that the names on the movements and dials were in fact in most cases not the name of the watchmaker but the retailer.

The traditional English made watch movement did in fact comprise of parts made by many individuals and the completed movement was then 'finished' by a jeweller/retailer who cased it up and then put HIS name on the movement and dial.

Until the late 19th century, the Prescot area of Lancashire had been the centre of the watchmaking trade in England. The workers produced watch parts in small workshops attached to their cottages and were paid by piece work. By 1899 the American system of watch manufacturing meant that the Waltham Watch Company and others could produce watches at a much lower price.

In 1899 to counteract this threat from the American makers a company was formed and eventually a large factory was built to create complete watches under a single roof. This was the Lancashire Watch Company. The watches produced had more in common with early American designs than traditional English fusee watches. Because of their late entry into this market the company struggled to compete with the larger American and Swiss factories. It just couldn't make a profit and went bankrupt in 1910.

Whilst they were in production some of their biggest customers were the likes of J.G. Graves, who had a huge mail order business based in Sheffield, and H. Samual and Fattorini & Sons two of the biggest retailers in the country. You will see hundreds of pocket watches with these names on the dials and movements, but they were retailers and jewellers not watchmakers.

When the English watch industry finally collapsed these retailers along with others turned to the American and Swiss watch makers for their movements.

So I decided at an early date to collect American pocket watches because 'You get what's on the tin'.

If you decide to collect 'English' pocket watches I would recommend that you try and get hold of a couple of books such as 'Pocket Watches of the 19th and 20th Century' by Alan Shenton and 'European Pocket Watches Identification' by Roy and Larry Ehrhardt.


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## JWL940 (Jun 11, 2010)

Let me throw JW Benson into the melting pot. Some nicely signed movements, a Royal Warrant or two and both PWs and wrist watches readily available.

Fattorini, there's a name from my past. My sister used to work for them when she first left school.


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## Will Fly (Apr 10, 2012)

It was a J.G. Graves pocket watch (1903) that started off my urge to collect the things. Many years ago I was given the watch by my mother-in-law - who had been given it by a bank manager's widow, whom she used to help out in the house. I put the watch away for many years then, when I retired, got it out, had it fitted with a new mainspring and serviced. My friend Dan in the US - a long-time collector of RR grade watches (mainly Hamiltons) - then sent me, out of the blue, an Elgin 571 "B.W. Raymond" watch. When I saw the Montgomery dial and the 571 movement, I was hooked... and so started my collecting.


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## AVO (Nov 18, 2012)

Thanks for all the advice, chaps. I'm on a gentle lookout but not in a tearing hurry. As I usually do with vintage stuff, homework comes first. :buba:


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