My Dresser Top secret drawer

[Jskirk]

Sorry just a little bored today, I have a book of home projects, but .....

 

[James J Nicholson]

Sorry just a little bored today, I have a book of home projects, but .....

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Wow, that is soooooo cool. I have a ton of respect for those who keep their collections at home to display and enjoy. I too keep my collection where I can enjoy at my pleasure.

 

[Joseph Short]

Keep em where you can enjoy em! What's the point of collecting if they don't bring you joy? Mine are right across from my easy chair. Right where I can always see them.

 

[Tim Fitzgerald]

I have my watches home also and started thinking about a secret place to keep them.

 

[musicguy]

Mine are right across from my easy chair. Right where I can always see them.

Nice.

Rob

 

[Candew]

Kept in the open except for those I am still working on.



Still working on a better mirrored display with the mirror further back so you can see both sides of the watches.

 

[Paul Sullivan]

I have my watches home also and started thinking about a secret place to keep them.

Tim,

LOL, If I changed the location of my collection to a "secret place" I'd forget and never find them again! I keep mine in display cases placed in an old stereo cabinet, with odd outliers ( majestic, colibri, majestime, Chinese, ETA,and others) are put in the aluminum brief case.


I track the collection using a spreadsheet for each company except Hamilton which has two. One for 18s and one for 16 and 12s. Each watch on the spread sheet is hyperlinked to a file containing purchase info., pictures, timing tests, grade serial nos. and any other back ground on the movement.

While many of my watches have good cases (20yr to 25yr GF) with nice engine turned or die engraved detail, I own no "solid gold" cased watches out side of a Hamilton "secometer" wrist watch in a tiny 10KGF case and the majority do not occupy first or original cases (though my oldest made in 1869 a model 1857 Walth. PSB, KW/KS and newest an Elgin 572 16s P825371 19j 1952 do).

One final thing. Have you ever lost a pocket watch from your collection IN your house? I moved my watch bench from my basement to top floor 10 yrs. ago and and this guy's been MIA ever since.


It's the only one I can't find.

 

[Les harland]

I have dispersed my watches around my apartment
That way if it gets broken into I will not lose them all

 

[Tim Fitzgerald]

Tim,

LOL, If I changed the location of my collection to a "secret place" I'd forget and never find them again! I keep mine in display cases placed in an old stereo cabinet, with odd outliers ( majestic, colibri, majestime, Chinese, ETA,and others) are put in the aluminum brief case.
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I track the collection using a spreadsheet for each company except Hamilton which has two. One for 18s and one for 16 and 12s. Each watch on the spread sheet is hyperlinked to a file containing purchase info., pictures, timing tests, grade serial nos. and any other back ground on the movement.

While many of my watches have good cases (20yr to 25yr GF) with nice engine turned or die engraved detail, I own no "solid gold" cased watches out side of a Hamilton "secometer" wrist watch in a tiny 10KGF case and the majority do not occupy first or original cases (though my oldest made in 1869 a model 1857 Walth. PSB, KW/KS and newest an Elgin 572 16s P825371 19j 1952 do).

One final thing. Have you ever lost a pocket watch from your collection IN your house? I moved my watch bench from my basement to top floor 10 yrs. ago and and this guy's been MIA ever since.

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It's the only one I can't find.

Great ideas, I have one of the aluminum cases ,It's great

 

[Joe Blossic]

Ingersoll Watch display cases have stood up better than their watches

I get a chuckle out of some high end Waltham, Hamilton, Rockford, Hampden hanging in a dollar watch case - but I am in danger of Ingersoll taking them back

Similar to Mr. Short, in a bookcase in my upstairs home office, in line of sight from my desk. Under shelf lighting is on the project list.
Joe

 

[PatH]

but I am in danger of Ingersoll taking them back

Me, too, Joe!!
You have some great, early Ingersoll displays there. Thanks for sharing.

 

[Rob P.]

One final thing. Have you ever lost a pocket watch from your collection IN your house? I moved my watch bench from my basement to top floor 10 yrs. ago and and this guy's been MIA ever since.

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It's the only one I can't find.

I have done this.

There's a hunter cased watch that I apparently own but do not have in my display. I do not know what manufacturer it is, can find no one in my circle of family or friends who can say they've ever seen it. cannot find it anywhere in the house, and I do not repair watches for other people. Yet I have a picture of it hanging on my watch stand.

The picture was taken November 28, 2017.

 

[vintageguy]

Wow, that is soooooo cool. I have a ton of respect for those who keep their collections at home to display and enjoy. I too keep my collection where I can enjoy at my pleasure.

Keep em where you can enjoy em! What's the point of collecting if they don't bring you joy? Mine are right across from my easy chair. Right where I can always see them.

Couldn't agree more. My collection is also in sight of my easy chair. But, if you're gonna keep up em at home, better have a pretty solid personal property floater to your homeowner's policy . . .

 

[Rick Hufnagel]

I have an oak personal property floater with an intruders name on it, as well as something a little less forgiving if they're exceptionally ornery.

I still use these things, but eventually I'd like a wall unit. Found a nice heavy piece of tempered glass to front it with... Now to find some nice boards.

The tower of watches

• Rick Hufnagel
• May 27, 2019

Found some cool displays to modify to show off the watches.
This is the Elgin side.

 

[vintageguy]

I have an oak personal property floater with an intruders name on it, as well as something a little less forgiving if they're exceptionally ornery.

Nice

 

[Paul Sullivan]

I have done this.

There's a hunter cased watch that I apparently own but do not have in my display. I do not know what manufacturer it is, can find no one in my circle of family or friends who can say they've ever seen it. cannot find it anywhere in the house, and I do not repair watches for other people. Yet I have a picture of it hanging on my watch stand.

The picture was taken November 28, 2017.

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And the plot thickens!

 

[Paul Sullivan]

The way I currently store my collection is a bit of a pain. The boxes are stacked two to three high with sticky notes attached to their ends indicating what's inside, but there's also enough room for 4 more shelves which would do away the box stacking. So with some plywood and cutting there is that option. On the other hand I've been looking at specimen cabinets as a way to store a pocket watch collection for easy access. They have low profile but deep drawers and allot of them. They also come in "Vault" type, antique, metal, etc. A search for map storage cabinet, or art storage cabinet will bring up similar results.
Some are also attractive furniture that would look good in a room. Also it should be somewhere between chest and waist height.

Paul

 

[PW Collector]

This is where I store some of my watches.
The antique shop described it as a jewelers chest.
There are three miscellaneous drawers under the roll-top.
The two top file drawers have sliding trays. I had to remove some trays so the pocket watches would fit.
The bottom file drawer is for files.
Dave

 

[luvsthetick]

PW Collector,

Very nice piece. Looks to be in excellent condition.

You have a great spot for it.

 

[musicguy]

You have a great spot for it.

I was thinking the same thing.


Rob

 

[Rob P.]

And the plot thickens!

Currently I'm blaming the cat.

 

[Rick Hufnagel]

It's always the cat.

Sinister little devils.

 

[grtnev]

Ver

This is where I store some of my watches.
The antique shop described it as a jewelers chest.
There are three miscellaneous drawers under the roll-top.
The two top file drawers have sliding trays. I had to remove some trays so the pocket watches would fit.
The bottom file drawer is for files.
Dave

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Very nice

 

[grtnev]

My wife bought this display case for me for Christmas about 5 years ago from a dealer in Connecticut. It dates to about 1910 and was originally in a jewelry store displaying “Towle” sterling silverware. (The Towle nameplate is still there.)

She bought it and arranged for it to be shipped from Connecticut to our home in Minden, NV.

Left drawer has my Waltham, a NY Standard, and a couple of Swiss ladies watches.

2nd drawer is Elgin and Ball

Middle drawer is non-watch.

4th drawer is Hamilton and Seth Thomas.

5th drawer is Illinois.

She also found the small Waltham display case for me locally. It holds my military watches.

Richard

 

[musicguy]

That's a beauty Richard, nice wife!


Rob

 

[Joe Blossic]

This is where I store some of my watches.
The antique shop described it as a jewelers chest.
There are three miscellaneous drawers under the roll-top.
The two top file drawers have sliding trays. I had to remove some trays so the pocket watches would fit.
The bottom file drawer is for files.
Dave

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That is a really cool piece, sweet!

 

[PW Collector]

Thanks for all the likes. It appears I forgot to post the photo of the three miscellaneous trays under the roll-top, sorry, so here it is:
Dave

 

[Rob P.]

It's always the cat.

Sinister little devils.

I figured it was cheaper to blame the cat than rent space on the side of a milk carton... have you seen this watch?

 

[vintageguy]

It's always the cat.

Sinister little devils.

It's a cryin' shame I'm too lazy to have a dog instead. That said, my collection is placed high enough where our two sinister devils can't get to them

 

[vintageguy]

I have an oak personal property floater with an intruders name on it, as well as something a little less forgiving if they're exceptionally ornery.

Of course, that only works if you're home when the watchburglars come callin' . . .

 

[Rob P.]

It's a cryin' shame I'm too lazy to have a dog instead. That said, my collection is placed high enough where our two sinister devils can't get to them

Or so you think...

The cat likes Rodico so much I can't leave it on the workbench even when I'm working on a watch. I'll need it and reach for it and it won't be there. Glance over the shoulder and there goes the cat with a blue / green blob in it's mouth.

Anyway, back on topic. I'm thinking some day I may make a copy of that jewelers filing cabinet. It wouldn't be that difficult for me I would just have to get off my butt and get motivated.