Swiss watches have then been an important accessory for men and women alike and they were not only used as time pieces but were considered precious jewelries themselves. They can often catch the attention of onlookers and many marvel at their innate elegance. Precision and accuracy became their main priority over cost and this has allowed them to make the brilliant pieces that are sometimes encrusted with gems and other precious metals. These non abrasive and highly stable materials made the business of time keeping accurate and they were often only about a minute off. Other means to make telling the time standardized was by adding adjustments and invention on how the clocks movements were made.

There are generally 4 ways on which to wind a pocket watch:

1. The key wind or key set movement, which would entail a key to wind the watch and to also set the time accordingly. The back of the watch case would be opened and the key would be used to set the hands via the setting arbor.

2. Crown wind or crown set movements, the crown is placed at the 3 o’ clock side of the watch and this would be gently pulled out to set the time. This method of setting the time is used by almost all types of watches even up to the present day.

3. Crown wind or pin set or nail set movement, a pin would be used to set the time by depressing it and then releasing it when the time has been properly set. It was also known as the nail set because often times, a finger nail would be used to set the time.

4. Crown wind or lever set movement; this became a staple for all who worked in the railroad company as they made predicting the schedule for the arrival of trains accurate. A lever would be pulled out which made setting the time by using the crown wind possible. After the time is set, the lever would be put back. This was preferred as the lever made it almost impossible to accidentally reset the time.

Even up to this very day, a Swiss pocket watch is not only a time piece to last the ages but is also essentially a beautiful work of art. They take pride in declaring that almost all of their watches are handmade and of the best quality of materials. Swiss watches are seen all over the world and can be purchased at reasonable prices.

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 for watch wearers to begin wearing their watch in a pocket.

The growing popularity of pocket watches was one major factor in their increased production and usage through out the 16th, 17th, and 18th centuries. It wasn’t before long before they truly became a staple in societies around the world.

Pocket watch types vary, from key-wind and key-set watch movements (the first pocket watches used this movement); crown-wind, crown-set movements, created in the 1800’s by Patek-Philippe; crown-wind, lever-set movements, which were mandatory on all railroad pocket watches; and crown-wind pin-set movements.

Pocketwatches saw increased usage along with the age of railroading during the late 1800’s. They became a standard piece of equipment among all rail workers, as implemented in 1887 by the American Railway Association. The association set certain standards for the type of watch worn, including size, number of jewels, position adjustment, time accuracy, and other measures. This system was so highly regarded by the Railway Association that members were often subject to surprise checks from their superiors – and a failure to keep your pocket watch in satisfactory working order most often meant disciplinary action.

Unfortunately, the reshaping of American fashion meant the eventual twilight of the pocket watch. However, the pocket watch was still a societal staple through the early 1900’s, as most considered the wrist watch (the latest in “watch fashion” in that day) to be feminine. New military standards in 1914 helped promote the decline of the pocket watch. Soldiers in World War I, as well as their officers, agreed that a watch worn on the wrist was more accessible and easier to keep clean and tidy than using a pocket watch.

As many members of society, military personnel included, moved toward the use of a wrist watch versus the traditional pocket watches, railroaders remained true to their roots by using the pocket watch in their every day activities.