Finding Pocket Watches for Sale

Pocket watches have been out of fashion for decades but it hasn’t stopped a community of collectors from growing all over the world and for the new collector finding pocket watches for sale both old and new can be a daunting task. There are many choices of pocket watches to choose from both new and old as there are many countries of origins and price ranges for both. Germany, Switzerland, the United States, and other countries in Europe are well known countries where watches come from. More modern watches both low and high quality can come from South America, Japan, China, and other parts of Asia but they all have some collectible quality to them. The choice in what you collect is whatever appeals to you. While many collectors are generalists you will find some like to specialize in a time period or a specific maker or origin. Luckily for every collector and pocket watch lover the advent of the internet has made collecting easier than ever before. There are specialized retailers for both old and new watches numbering in the hundreds all over the world making it easier to find watches from other countries. However for those diehards there are still plenty of brick and mortar specialty stores as well as conventions catering to collectors where you can interact face to face with people just like you who love the pocket watch.
Pricing for new watches is an easy thing to predict and is commonly and indication of the quality of the watch but not always. New watches can be found for under $50 all the way up to well over $1,000 depending on the maker and country of origin. However the majority of watches sold are in the $200 to $600 dollar range (these are new watches) and are a great starting point for a new pocket watch aficionado. These make great gifts for many occasions and are of high enough quality to last a long time but inexpensive enough to not worry about engraving them with personal messages. When it comes to older more collectible watches the sky is the limit price wise. The prices can be as little as a $100 or upwards of well into six figures depending on the rarity of the watch. There is a large market for collectible antique watches and there are hundreds of retailers catering to those who collect old watches and auction sites like EBay are a great place for both new and experienced collectors to add to their collection.
The features of pocket watches are often what draw collectors to those time pieces. The typical number of hands on a watch is three like traditional watches. However many styles have been introduced over the centuries with moon and sun dials for day or night, dates, and hands to track other features. Also the build features such as the type of crystal used on the watch face or the gearing and spring mechanisms used for keeping time are all features that catch collector’s attentions.
Pocket watches come in many sizes however there is a more common size available. Typically sizes range from about an inch and half in diameter to about two inches. However the average pocket watch is about one and three quarters of an inch in diameter. Older collectible pieces follow the same basic sizing but have a broader range of sizes depending on the designer, time period, and where it was manufactures. Different sizes add to the collectability of these older pieces.
As you can see there are many reasons why collectors fall in love with pocket watches. Both old and new watches have appeal for many collectors and the history tied to some of the older watches just can’t be denied. What did this watch go through? Did it trek through the jungles of Africa and South American? How many wars and battles did it survive through? Who may have owned it? Every old watch has a story to tell and it is these stories that add to the appeal to collecting the older time pieces even if some of them no longer function.

Pocket watches have been out of fashion for decades but it hasn’t stopped a community of collectors from growing all over the world and for the new collector finding pocket watches for sale both old and new can be a daunting task. There are many choices of pocket watches to choose from both new and old as there are many countries of origins and price ranges for both. Germany, Switzerland, the United States, and other countries in Europe are well known countries where watches come from. More modern watches both low and high quality can come from South America, Japan, China, and other parts of Asia but they all have some collectible quality to them. The choice in what you collect is whatever appeals to you. While many collectors are generalists you will find some like to specialize in a time period or a specific maker or origin. Luckily for every collector and pocket watch lover the advent of the internet has made collecting easier than ever before. There are specialized retailers for both old and new watches numbering in the hundreds all over the world making it easier to find watches from other countries. However for those diehards there are still plenty of brick and mortar specialty stores as well as conventions catering to collectors where you can interact face to face with people just like you who love the pocket watch.

Pricing for new watches is an easy thing to predict and is commonly and indication of the quality of the watch but not always. New watches can be found for under $50 all the way up to well over $1,000 depending on the maker and country of origin. However the majority of watches sold are in the $200 to $600 dollar range (these are new watches) and are a great starting point for a new pocket watch aficionado. These make great gifts for many occasions and are of high enough quality to last a long time but inexpensive enough to not worry about engraving them with personal messages. When it comes to older more collectible watches the sky is the limit price wise. The prices can be as little as a $100 or upwards of well into six figures depending on the rarity of the watch. There is a large market for collectible antique watches and there are hundreds of retailers catering to those who collect old watches and auction sites like EBay are a great place for both new and experienced collectors to add to their collection.

The features of pocket watches are often what draw collectors to those time pieces. The typical number of hands on a watch is three like traditional watches. However many styles have been introduced over the centuries with moon and sun dials for day or night, dates, and hands to track other features. Also the build features such as the type of crystal used on the watch face or the gearing and spring mechanisms used for keeping time are all features that catch collector’s attentions.

Pocket watches come in many sizes however there is a more common size available. Typically sizes range from about an inch and half in diameter to about two inches. However the average pocket watch is about one and three quarters of an inch in diameter. Older collectible pieces follow the same basic sizing but have a broader range of sizes depending on the designer, time period, and where it was manufactures. Different sizes add to the collectability of these older pieces.

As you can see there are many reasons why collectors fall in love with pocket watches. Both old and new watches have appeal for many collectors and the history tied to some of the older watches just can’t be denied. What did this watch go through? Did it trek through the jungles of Africa and South American? How many wars and battles did it survive through? Who may have owned it? Every old watch has a story to tell and it is these stories that add to the appeal to collecting the older time pieces even if some of them no longer function.

Tagged as: , ,

Comments on this entry are closed.