Buying your first ever American pocket watch - did you do your research or buy with little knowledge?

[1908]

When I bought my first American pocket watch, a 1908 model 1908 Waltham Riverside in a full hunter case I knew very very little about it. I googled the Waltham and that took me to the pocket watch database which allowed me to compare the movement on the database to the pw I was interested in. Other than that, I admit I was pretty clueless. I did find out how to open the case and set the Riverside before receiving the pw.


Stephen

 

[Alan Walker]

Bought my Elgin BW Raymond because the railroad said I had to have a watch that was on the approved list.

 

[topspin]

I'm struggling to even remember what my first American PW was, or how I came by it. Maybe I bought it because it had a nice dial. Maybe it was in a charity shop or pawnbrokers. Maybe it was in a mixed ebay lot of several random watches from all over.

Either way, two things are for sure -

• I had no knowledge of what I was buying (e.g. I only discovered this site and the PW DB long after I had got started,) and
• I didn't do nearly as well on my first purchase as this guy.

Authenticity of plastic crystals

Hello everyone... I’m new to this forum and hope I’m posting correctly. I’m trying to ascertain whether a Vanguard 1908 circa 1928 would have originally had a glass or plastic crystal. I’ve been having trouble finding a definitive answer and it seems this community has quite a depth of...

mb.nawcc.org

 

[MrRoundel]

I probably bought my first with a little knowledge, however, it was more than I started with before doing some research. I did fine because I got a price guide and did a little homework. That was in the mid nineteen nineties. It's much easier to do more in-depth research today than it was then. Cheers.

 

[Dave Coatsworth]

At the time (about 20 years ago), I was a clock guy and decided I wanted an early watch. Other than looking around enough to decide I wanted an early American keywind, I didn't do much research. I ended up with an American Watch Company (Waltham) model 1857. I probably overpaid a bit, but it was local, so I could pick it up. (I was a bit nervous at the time about buying a watch on eBay.) I liked that small wonder so much, it led me to do a lot more research before buying watch #2, which I believe was an early Elgin keywind B. W. Raymond.

So, I wouldn't say one should do a tremendous amount of research on that first watch, especially if we are only talking about a couple of hundred dollars. (Completely different story if you want that first watch to be something like a Patek.) Having that first watch in hand probably will motivate you to start doing a lot more reasearch before continuing to buy.

Another thing to keep in mind is that, no matter how much you research those early purchases, your tastes and collecting focus will undoubtedly change and refine over time. So, you probably will end up selling some of those early purchases. Those aren't mistakes but, rather, learning experiences.

I still have that first watch...

 

[TaborClock]

I scanned Ebay for what was reasonable and plentiful. I wanted to learn watchmaking, so I bought a couple Waltham 1908 7 jewel orphans......Five years later I have 50 running Walthams. Model 1857 to WWII 16s.

 

[Rick Hufnagel]

At first I bought random 12 sized Elgins to learn watch repair. There are still a couple around. I just wanted something common and easy to find.

I'm not really sure which one was the first. I can say it was probably a mish mosh of parts from various watches, lol.

 

[Marty101]

I always wanted a pocket watch when I was a kid. Bought me an Elgin 16s/7j hunter...opened it and dropped it. The rest is history.

 

[pmurphy]

I did a little bit of research, primarily using the Pocket Watch Data Base, before buying a "real" (American) vintage pocket watch. It was a '21 New York Standard 7 jewel which I got pretty cheap. Before that I got a several cheap non-running watches I used as display pieces. I now have fifteen American pocket watches and a smattering of European and Russian watches I found interesting. Nothing really high-end.

On a side note lately I have been interested and have been doing research on Gruen watches (I know, not American) since they were assembled in here in Cincinnati where I live.

 

[Clint Geller]

My first antique watch was an inheritance, a zero size Waltham in a 14K case. The first antique watch I purchased on my own was a Keystone Howard Series 10 in a gold-filled case that had been presented to an employee of the Shoe & Leather Bank of Boston for 50 years of service, which I purchased in a local jewelry shop. Unfortunately I own neither the watch nor a picture of it anymore. I knew virtually nothing about watches at the time I bought it. The jeweler even had to show me how to set a lever set watch. Soon after, I joined the NAWCC and I began slowly climbing up the learning curve.

 

[Bryan Eyring]

gold filled 18s gm wheeler, radiolite dollar watch, and 16s 7j elgin that i all bought for $5 at garage sale in 1988 at the age of 8

 

[hc3]

Mine was pre internet. I was very ignorant, a poster for "buy the books before you buy the thing".

 

[thesnark17]

I almost bought a 7 jewel Elgin hunter without any knowledge, but I held off and did some research first, and I'm glad that I did. It turned out that the seller was asking too much for the watch. It did start me down the Elgin rabbit hole.

My first fully American-made pocket watch was a Lord Elgin 543. I still have it.

 

[noelekal]

I knew nothing about classic American pocket watches. I'd occasionally peruse them in shops, gun shows, and on Ebay.

Decided that I liked the Illinois Sangamo Special so sought out an example. I like the name "Sangamo," liked the styling of the late vintage diamond Sangamo Special hands, liked the simple stately beauty of the movement and liked the fact that it was a premium model pocket watch.

Not I've gathered in quite a few pocket watches. The more I read and research the less I feel I know, but I'm absorbing it all bit by bit.

I still like those Sangamo Specials best.

 

[piedmontg]

The first PW I purchased was a 1923 992 found while walking around a flea market in 2003. My wife had purchased a 992B for me at Christmas in 1984, I was an avid outdoor large scale model railroader – the ones you ride on and shovel coal into. She got it from a jeweler in town with her father's (a retired CB & Q employee) help. My watch maker was backed up and said at least 4 months to clean it. The 992 was purchased more or less by accident the next weekend. I just asked the guy for a railroad watch. Jump ahead to April of 2019. I had heard of Illinois brand pocket watch. I thought it would be great to have one< since I lived in Illinois, so got on ebay and the first watch that popped up was an Illinois 23j watch. It was rather expensive but it looked really neat so why not I had not treated myself to anything in a long time so with a little negotiating I purchased it.

Now as you can surmise I had no books, no help, just blind dumb luck to get my first two watches. That Illinois turned out to be a 1931 Illinois Bunn Special 163 Type 1 with a Montgomery Flying J Dial. It had a two tone 206 case but the wrong bow ( which the seller pointed out). And thus began the start of a collection which has just about got out of hand.

Bob

 

[mikeflstfi]

I'm still very new to this, only having the one pocket watch in my "collection." I got started by seeing some videos on watch restoration, which led to the "if you want to get started in this hobby, start with a pocket watch movement because they're larger." So I started researching pocket watches and soon discovered the Railroad grade or specification. I also like trains and railroad history, but knew nothing of these types of pocket watches for railroad timekeeping, or that they had their own specifications. But I liked what I saw and their purpose. So I started hunting on eBay, essentially looking at the major ones I knew about: Hamilton, Waltham, and Elgin. I paid attention to the dials and that's what drew me to the 571 I have.

I'd say I did some research, but I'd also say I'm still very ignorant but hoping to learn much more.

Mike

 

[Keith H]

1st American watch bought with very little knowledge approx 30 years ago. Browsing in junk shops in England for English fusee watches and saw a 21j 18 size Bunn Special requiring a balance staff for very little money as the lady told me “No one is interested in American watches” Still regret not buying the Sagamano Special (running but more expensive) that was in the cabinet with it!! Still have the Bunn.

 

[Maximus Man]

I bought my first watch at an auction in 1975. It was a Bunn Special 163A. I never researched a watch prior to that. Traded it for a 950 and 950B. Traded those for a solid gold 16s 23j Ball and cash, and then I got serious and bought book to see how I had done. Sold my birds-eye maple furniture collection to make room for a new passion and hobby.