Pocket Watch Guide

The Howard Pocket Watch Company was established in 1857 after it was partially gained from Waltham Watch co. which did not fare so well on its own. Edward Howard, after claiming the parts and machineries that were yet being developed at the time, moved the company to Roxbury, Massachusetts and established his very own watch making factory; bringing with him all the tools, parts and other essentials needed for the factory. However, it took a year for his pocket watches to go out into the public and be marketable. The watches Edward Howard made were packed with new innovations and… Read the rest

The Ingersoll Company has long been in the trade of making reliable watches since 1892. They have revolutionized the American standards of watch making as they continuously set the bar a little higher. Among these milestones of achievements, they have made several pocket watches that have changed the industry and also were the first to successfully adapt an automated production line.

As the production increased they were able to develop reliable and precise watches that did not cost as much as the more sophisticated Swiss watches of their time. Robert Hawley Ingersoll and his brother Charles established this company in… Read the rest

The Hamilton Watch Company was established in 1892 by Charles Rood and Harry Cain. These two men actually bought out the older Adams & Perry Watch Manufacturing Company to form Hamilton.

During this era, raillroading was spreading from coast ot coast and throughout America heralding the industrial revolution in this country. Most railroaders carried the famous Hamilton Pocket Watch with them because of its accuracy and dependability.

The Hamilton was a working man’s watch. It was not inexpensive, but it had a class and prestige of its own. As the years passed and its influence grew, the Hamilton Watch… Read the rest

The railroad pocket watch became a staple for all railway workers in the late 1800′s – but only by means of one of the greatest train wrecks.

The event occured on April 18, 1891, as two trains approached each other in Kipton, Ohio. On a passenger train, the pocket watch of an engineer stopped working for four minutes. As a result of this mixup the train was running late. Another train – a mail freighter – was heading in the same direction on another side of town. The trains missed their usual rendezvous point and wrecked near the edge of… Read the rest

One of the more unique hobbies some individuals have today is collecting antique pocket watches. Whether for their nostalgia or their simple beauty, these vintage timepieces have come a long way since their invention in the 16th century, though the earliest models may not have been as close in appearance to the images of pocket watches people often have etched in their minds.

In the early 16th century, clock makers devised a process to use springs instead of weight to operate their timepieces. This switch allowed them to significantly condense the size of the pieces that allowed personal timepieces to… Read the rest

What is a Pocket Watch?

According to the New Oxford American Dictionary, the pocket watch is defined as “a watch on a chain, intended to be carried in the pocket of a jacket or vest.” The pocket watch, sometimes also spelled “pocketwatch”, was first invented in the early 15th century. In fact, Peter Henlien, originally a master locksmith, was a notable pocket watch maker around the year 1524.

Initially, pocket watches were worn around the neck – and devices were fairly big compared to their size today and in recent history. Some estimate that it took only one century… Read the rest