How to wear a Pocket Watch and Waistcoat - Fully Explained

[@thomaspiercejr4483]

Thanks! I'm not much of an expert but I did find it interesting that the nature of the early railroads (or railways lol) at least here in the US, drove companies to produce very high quality movements that in most opinions I've come across were not matched for 50 years (with Rolex). It was life or death in the late 1800s if the pocket watch railroad engineers carried were off just 2 or 3 mins. When Hamilton, Elgin, Illinois, and Waltham watch companies starting really stepping up and making super high quality timepiece it was a probably the most important element of the development of "the west" (as in the western United States)

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Pinned comment!

[@Tmanaz480]

These "railroad grade" watches fetch a premium on the antique market.

[@kyrie0033]

Useful?!? IT WAS GREAT!!! This video was about clocks, watches, costume, art, culture, taylors, history... Thank you SO much :)

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Thanks for this very encouraging comment!

[@kyrie0033]

:o) tic-tac

[@karljones9357]

I'm going to be saying goodbye to my father next week, and now I know how to wear his pocket watch with my waistcoat. Thank you so much, I know he would be proud of the way I'm wearing it.

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Thanks for this special comment. I'm glad to hear that you found this video helpful, and thanks for writing in.

[@MonolithMike]

Thank you for this video! I am a wristwatch enthusiast who is venturing into pocketwatches and this is one of the best niche videos I've ever seen on YT on any subject. Thorough and entertaining. Cheers!

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

You're very welcome! It's really good to read a comment such as this one, and I hope it encourages you to expand into the wonderful world of the pocket watch. Thanks for the contact.

[@argonwheatbelly637]

When I dress formally, I frequently have a pocket watch in my waistcoat; howbeit, a snuff box in the other. If neither, I will bring a cigarette case of hand-rolled sticks, a personal holder, and convenient lighter to share among other fine companions. At other convivial gatherings, I might find an offer of a fine cigar in a billiards room, or a clay pipe in the study, or nothing but a shared flask during such diversions as one might find at the gaming tables, playing at cards for amusement, with or without the ladies. As is I dress down much of the time, I find I care little for the time, and use my cell phone much as a leviathan of a pocket watch. *chortle* Excellent video, this!

[@jasonbrown6614]

your narration is great. I wish you had more videos going into history.

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Thanks for the encouraging reply, and I'm glad you liked the narration. There is a small amount of historical background in my 'How to tie a cravat/ascot/ruche tie video, if you are interested. (kzbin.info/www/bejne/iIG9pZ-NeNqrfKs)

[@MrThomasPinch]

This is excellent. Fascinating historical insights and thorough well illustrated explanations combine to make this so much more than just another "how to" video. Well done, Sir!

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Thank you for your complimentary comments. I trust that you will be sporting the 'Full Albert' at your next 'Black Tie' event!

[@madarauchiha919]

I like the way he says pocket watch. It sounds old timey and I love it.

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

It just comes naturally! Thanks for the encouraging comment.

[@TheBlackSheepDiaries]

Extremely professional content and presentation sir, hats off. I just put on a history lesson on a unique pocket watch fob I found while metal detecting at my place and thought you might enjoy. Thanks.

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Thanks!

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

I looked for your video, but could not find it. Could you send a link?

[@TheBlackSheepDiaries]

@@Offshoreorganbuilder It's here at my lil channel, I have a rainbow wig on, called Antique pocket watch FOB, can't miss it. Hope you enjoy it friend.

[@olddeadtoad]

Thank you for taking the time to make this video. Time well spent watching this sir.

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Thanks for your positive feedback. The pocket-watch has an interesting history, is convenient, a change from the norm and deserves to be more popular. I have worn the same one for around 10 years or more, and cannot imagine going back to a wristlet watch!

[@ryanrosenblum2552]

In the US the full albert style was sometimes used to carry a small gun or derringer as a counter weight in off hand pocket a friend from school showed me a baby browning 25 his great grandfather carried on his watch chain

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

In America, anything is possible! (Interesting piece of information, if rather alarming!)

[@ryanrosenblum2552]

@@Offshoreorganbuilder concealed carry has a long and storied tradition in the US i could list a hundred different ways with a little research ive been told that told that holsters have been sown into suspenders, boots, hats, sleeve harness. Guns have been built into silver ware, salt and pepper cellars, canes and even made to look like ink pens. If it can be concealed in something an American has probably used it

[@tomdoff1]

I've owned a mechanical pocket watch since my 18th birthday, but I haven't been brave enough to wear it for fear of damaging it, although after watching your video, I'm more inclined to try!

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

There is no need to fear damage to the watch, especially if you keep it in your trousers' pocket, with no other sharp items. (Keep it on a cord, with a handkerchief in the same pocket, and all will be well.) The handkerchief will remain unused, of course, but will be there when, as a gentleman, you need to offer it to a lady in a state of emotional upset. The other morons around you will then be disadvantaged as, a) being all wearers of wrist-watches, and, b) having nothing to hand with which to comfort the maiden in distress!

[@martinwatts517]

Thanks for the interesting video. I wore waistcoats for many years without considering a pocket watch. I then gave it a try and have not looked back, it's a great look. I do find that an end clip will go through a button hole as well as a t bar.

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Thanks for the interesting comment, though I think you must have, either, very long button-holes or a very narrow clip. Either way, I'm sure it will look fine.

[@sieracki001]

When I wear a full Albert chain, another second pocket option to consider is a compass, instead of another watch or the pocket knife. A compass can be obtained for a few dollars and often look like pocket watches.

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

That's a very good and stylish idea - thanks!

[@PeterHamiltonz]

Thank you for this. Wearing a pocket watch with my suit for my wedding, and this was very informative.

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Glad you found this useful, and hope the wedding guests were impressed!

[@victorcreedy9147]

An extremely useful and interesting video. I'm going to buy myself a pocket watch soon, and I'm certainly thinking of purchasing mine from the pocketwatch waistcoat company, to which this video directed me!

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Thanks for your feedback and it's good to know that you found the video helpful. As described, the Pocketwatch Waistcoat Company's watches are good quality, modern movements. I have one myself, and find that it keeps pretty good time, by which I mean that it behaves just like any watch was expected to, prior to the age of the digital watch. In those days, no-one expected a watch to keep absolutely prefect time. They drifted a little, over a day or two, and you automatically re-set them when you happened to hear the time-signal on the radio. Or ... you could use the 'speaking clock' over the telephone. "At the third stroke, it will be 9.53 and thirty seconds ... BEEP BEEP BEEEEEP." I imagine that service is long-gone. Curiously, even now, with the digital time-pieces, we have become used to approximate time again, with all those electric clocks or equivalent which do not show the seconds. Does it make any practical difference, not being sure of the time to the second? Of course not!

[@victorcreedy9147]

Would you happen to know where I could find (and purchase) shorter button chains?

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

The shorter chains for a lapel are nothing like as common as the half- or full-Albert chains. You might consider a leather strap, such as those sold by www.cjbalm.com/watches/watch-mil-alb-bn.htm Or, you could buy a half-Albert chain and remove some of the links. Or, you could wear a full-- or half-Albert, but with the button or T-bar in the middle, so that a doubled (and therefore, shorter) length of chain hangs from the lapel. Or, use a safety-pin to hold the chain behind your lapel, high enough to prevent scratching your watch. Of the various options, maybe the leather strap is the best: it won't scratch the watch, is light enough not to pull on the lapel and is discrete enough to be noticed without being ostentatious.

[@pipedr3am744]

Have they stopped selling pocketwatches? Can’t find it on their page

[@aid1205]

My family heirloom is a pocket watch that was first owned by my great great great uncle. I recently got it and it still works.

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

That's part of the value of the real pocket-watch: it carries history - often family history - and so is a tangible connection to the past. Thanks for the comment.

[@davidcooke7744]

What a superb video for pocket watches. I’ve had one for some time cause I wanted to be like my grandpa. I told several friends about the watch pocket in jeans but they laughed. Thanks again for your interesting work on this project.

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

My pleasure! I'm afraid the friends to whom you spoke have no *class,* - in addition to being ignorant, of course, in the true sense of the word. Thanks for the encouraging comment.

[@RedcoatsReturn]

An exquisite explanation of everything about the wonderful and stylish World of pocket watches and waistcoats! Finally I know now what a “fob” is and where I can buy a real pocket watch waistcoat. I feel now much more complete and will indeed seek out the appropriate items to guild my deportment as a Gentleman. For that sir, my very sincere appreciation and deepest thanks!

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Thanks for your encouraging comment. I agree: the pocket-watch (with or without waistcoat) is a very definite advantage, from the point of view of 'style.' It is a novelty these days, and a practical one. Speaking of which, you might find this useful: kzbin.info/www/bejne/haC4o5hmqsyeo6s or even this (!): kzbin.info/www/bejne/iIG9pZ-NeNqrfKs

[@BrettL250]

What a fun video. Lots of great ideas and information. Thanks for doing this.

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

My pleasure! Thanks for your appreciative comment.

[@jdh91741]

What excellence is your pocket watch video. Thank you.

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Glad to be of help. I hope you are now encouraged to become one of the growing band of pocket-watch wearers, deriding, as we do, the 'wristlet' watch and all its works! (And thanks for writing in.)

[@ingrid_inthesky]

I am so glad to have found this channel - it's so fun! I wonder if as a woman, I could get away with wearing a pocket watch haha :D I don't mind being different. I've worn ties since I was in high school. My coworkers got a kick when I came in wearing a bow tie and a fitted black blazer. Now I have to use your other video to learn to tie the bow tie myself. Awesome channel!

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Thanks for the compliments on the channel. Much appreciated. I see no problem at all with your wearing a pocket-watch. Judging from your profile image, you have the commanding appearance and confidence to start a *trend* with those around you! Try the watch in the top pocket of your blazer, but remember to keep the chain short, so that it doesn't get scratched. (If the chain is too long, sew a button halfway along its length, so that is hangs from your lapel in two sections.) Good luck with the bow tie. Once having mastered that, see my video on how to tie a cravat, Ascot and Ruche tie. If you turned up for work, or a party, in an Ascot, you *would* be the talk of the room!

[@ingrid_inthesky]

Thanks for the awesome response! That made my evening to know I have a commanding and confident look in my picture. I love starting trends and always have effortlessly. Fashion of the past with a modern twist is what I'm really about since I was 16 but when doing so, I want to go by the book, so to speak - like with tieing a simple neck tie, which I taught myself at 14 to do, and have taught countless MEN to do as well. How ridiculous that a woman has to teach a man something so essential! Would you believe at work, my 22-year-old male coworker was wearing a suit and had the gall to have the last button fastened on his 3 button jacket? I told him that it was tacky and to immediately fix it or I'll do it for him! haha Anyway, I digress. I would like to get a decent pocket watch but nothing too expensive yet. However, I'd like it to be authentic - I live in the states, by the way. Where could I start to look? E-bay maybe?

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Thanks for your further comment. Regarding ties, you may care to see my How to tie a tie video. It shows you how to place the pattern which appears in the knot, exactly where you want it - something I have not seen elsewhere and which might be useful to you. Yes ... young men (and not so young) these days, can be surprisingly clueless as to 'fashion.' *Real* fashion is often based on common sense, and so does have a point. Regarding a jacket, I would have only one button fastened, but this may vary in the States, I don't know. (In Victorian times, it was quite acceptable to fasten just the top button of a coat with a several buttons down the front!) Concerning pocket watches, and their cost: There are the cheap ones (under $100.00) and these will be fine as long as they last, which should be some years. They probably will have no adjustment for the running speed and so will drift off after a day or so, and need re-setting. This was absolutely normal in the days of mechanical wrist-watches, and you just accepted it. Only when the quartz watch appeared did we have pretty well perfect time-keeping. Or, you could buy a second-hand watch on the likes of e-bay. Some of these are quite cheap, but try to get on in good running order. Older watches can be adjusted by the owner. Some of my watches are 'high end' and I have to face a cleaning and lubrication bill of around $400 every 5 to 10 years, so it's a costly hobby, though seen as $40.00 per year, it's affordable, and my every-day watch (a gold-cased Zenith watch, probably of around 1925) keeps very good time and seldom needs to be re-set. Just be sure not to buy a watch which needs a lot of work doing on it. It could be expensive. Good luck!

[@ingrid_inthesky]

I pm'd you on G+ - not sure if I did it right.

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

I've been away from the computer for a few days. Looking on Google+ and on Messages in You Tube, I'm afraid nothing has come through.

[@szymongorczynski7621]

Very, very well presented! You have such a relaxing voice which is just a pleasure to listen to! Just in time for me receiving a pocket watch as an early birthday present!

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Thanks for being the first one to comment. I'm glad you liked the video. As you can see, there's plenty of scope for harmless fun with the old pocket watch!

[@szymongorczynski7621]

Offshoreorganbuilder​ They're also undeniably more comfortable than a big chunk of metal loosely strapped to your wrist.

[@Grannn]

Great informative video! To be honest, I do not remember how I came across it, but I ended up watching it in one go, which is a rare thing for me :)

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

I seem to have missed replying to you, in which case, my apologies. It's good to hear that you found this video useful, and that you actually watched it all through. Well done(!) and thanks for the feedback.

[@5avan10]

You are the only person I know in the modern age with an impressive mid-Atlantic accent.

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

You surprise me! My accent is what it is - like anyone else's. I was born, brought up, went to school and university in the north of England. (The give-away will be the pronunciation of words such as 'gas' - where the choice has to be made between a flat A (gAs) or a longer one (gARs.) I tend towards the flat one.) If you can think of anyone else, on You Tube, say, with a similar accent to my own, I would be interested to know. Thanks for the comment!

[@waltski4375]

Thank you very much for the informative video. I just purchased a pocket watch and, on my own, tried various configurations to display the fob without damaging the watch or my waistcoat. You have provided me with the proper configuration!

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Glad to hear that you found this useful, and thanks for writing in.

[@Tmanaz480]

Fortunately three piece suits have returned to fashion. I see a lot of TV and film personalities wearing them, but they look empty without a chain. Also...One reason for wearing a pocket watch you didn't cover--many men have inherited an ancestor's watch and they'd love to wear it on special occasions.

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Another good reason to wear a pocket watch, I agree.

[@zedg2156]

well im scared to do that i just got my ancestors watch form 1867 in gold and silver im to scared to wear it

[@joellindholm3727]

I have got a stirling silver pocket watch from 1905 that my great grandfather had.

[@LawnBowlerUK]

Fantastic video! I just bought myself a 115 year old Waltham watch for a good price, and although it needs a bit of work, I'm hoping to add it to my EDC. I bought myself a nice silver Albert chain for it, but after watching I realise I may need to take some links out as I'll be wearing it in my jacket breast pocket. I'll probably get some strange looks as an 18 year old dressing so formally, but there's nothing better than looking smart!

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Yes, I would definitely do that, if there is any chance of scratching the watch. Another option would be to double the chain, or (if it is still too long) pin it behind your lapel with a safety pin or similar, at a suitable height to keep it stretched. Or ... you might think of sewing on a lapel button a few links lower than the end of the doubled chain. That way, you would not alter the chain and risk damaging it. That's what makes the pocket-watch so interesting; there are so many ways of wearing it. (For instance, I have never seen it worn as in this old Sherlock Holmes film (kzbin.info/www/bejne/jF7VenuJqKiqepY) at 26.17 mins in. Watson ignores the option of the centre button-hole and has what looks like a blood-stone fob suspended from his right-hand pocket.) As you say, why not look smart, rather than the usual scruff-bag?! (Thanks for the comment.)

[@LawnBowlerUK]

Offshoreorganbuilder excellent advice, I may try that. And you're right about the way he's wearing it, very unusual. Holmes just appears to have a straight chain too, which is also unusual. I have worn Albert chains a lot in the past, but never really experimented. Perhaps I'll begin to wear them a little different! Last night I went through some of your other videos too, congrats on your new subscriber! Haha

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Thanks for the 'sub,' and I'm glad you found some of the other videos of interest, perhaps, in particular, the Ascot/Day Cravat/Ruche Tie one? If you have not seen the 'How to tie a tie' video, you might be interested in the part which deals with the method of arranging the pattern in the knot. I always place the motif of the pattern (in patterned ties) in the centre of the knot and have done for years; yet nobody else seems to. Curious!

[@LawnBowlerUK]

Offshoreorganbuilder the Cravat video is next to watch, and then the tie video as you say. I'm always interested in how to improve the knot. And thanks for leaving a comment on my video, haha, but that's years old, you might be quite interested in my other channel SculpturesArtAndMore, I do (or did do) factual videos about all sorts of stuff!

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

I'll have a look!

[@sfbfriend]

Very nice video, thank you. I am an enthusiast of pocket watches and have several. I agree with some of the other comments on leaving out the railroad uses here in the US and Railway uses in the UK. I do realize your mention of "not too long" and you are right in the assumption of soft minded modern folk. I tend to be that way myself, unfortunately a product of the environment. I would like to suggest another video concerning the use of pocket timepieces and the Rails! Thanks again, excellent video...

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Good to hear from another pocket-watch enthusiast, and to know that you liked the video. I would like to do another video on pocket watches and their place in railway history. Unfortunately, I have very limited time to research the subject which is unfamiliar to me. If you have any suggestions on source material, please let me know.!

[@sfbfriend]

I don't have anything that comes to mind! Its one of those subjects that just been there! I know that is kinda vague. I will look around, if I find something I will forward it to you. Out of curiosity, what do you do?

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

I'll be interested to hear from you. As to what I do for a living, I am an organ-builder, based on an island off the west coast of England - hence the name! (kzbin.info/www/bejne/anW3m6BmZZ6afLc)

[@sfbfriend]

Thanks, I was wondering if that is what you really did! And it is! Awesome....

[@LordQueezle]

This is wonderful and very helpful. Thank you!

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Glad you found it useful.

[@deerslayinredneck1003]

very good video i'm actually saving the money to tissot bridgeport lepine pocket watch

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

I'm pleased that you liked the video, and good luck with your up-coming pocket-watch. (Not the $50,000 Baume and Mercier Clifton 1830 Repeater, by any chance?!)

[@tavuzzipust7887]

On the other end of my watch chain I wear a Sovereign case. I would suggest to never mix metals: make sure cufflinks, chain, watch and whatever one attaches to the other end of the chain are all silver, or all rose gold, or all yellow gold...

[@z84c00]

how true and how often misobserved. i want to go further and suggest: don't mix silver and steel, and don't wear rose gold.

[@lackadaisicale492]

A very interesting video, I never heard of the lapel/breast pocket style, very cool. I do think you skipped a few common styles in the waist coat segment: Rather than being pulled through the waist coat button whole. both the single and double Albert often come with a T-bar, with a small chain for the fob attached, I even think it was shown in one of your last pictures, but not mentioned. The single Albert also often comes with a round lock or clasp with a spring lock, that goes around the flap of the waist coat into the button hole. Finally, it was indeed very common in the olden days to attach a pen knife, as you mention, but also very commonly a box for matches (often silver) was attached to the empty end of a double Albert instead, as just about all men smoked back then. Great video and style, though, thanks for the watch! (pun intended)

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Thanks for the additional information, and apologies for the long delay in reply. Somehow, I must have missed your comment.

[@jareh7383]

Informative and helpful video...Thank you

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

My pleasure ... glad you liked it.

[@jareh7383]

@@Offshoreorganbuilder does that mean you can't wear it from the neck at all?

[@AlTheEngineer]

Thank you, this is fantastic. I am going to purchase a pocket watch and start wearing it daily. Currently looking at Hamilton watches :)

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

I am not familiar with Hamilton pocket-watches, but I see several for sale on e-bay, and they look attractive. I am sure that you will find the every-day wearing of such a watch is not only perfectly practical, but will attract the interest of others(!) Thanks for the compliment, and the comment.

[@AlTheEngineer]

Thank you very much. What other brand do you recommend I consider?

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

I don't have a wide enough knowledge of the possibilities to advise one maker over another, and in any case, it depends on your individual requirements. Watches such as those sold by the Pocket Watch Waistcoat Company are relatively cheap (about £80.00) and have the advantage of being new. I have one, and find it well-made and reliable. The workings are easy to see and show to people, which they find interesting, of course. My only serious criticism is that there is no way to regulate its time-keeping, so you need to correct it, occasionally. Having said that, the mechanical wrist-watches which we all used to wear were just the same, and no-one found it inconvenient. Adjusting it occasionally was just part of owning a watch. New watches do not have the added interest or 'antique charm' of an older watch, of course, and it is important to have the watch in good running order, so the older watch is likely to be more expensive. Elgin and Waltham mass-produced pocket-watches of higher quality than the cheaper watches made today, but you must have one in good condition if you intend to wear it every day. Some of these watches have silver cases, others gold-plated and still others of solid gold. What is best for you will depend on what you want, and how much you intend to spend. So the choice is not a simple one - and that's what makes it more interesting. Good luck!

[@AlTheEngineer]

I think I want to go with a good condition Antique. Perhaps something at just around $500 or so. I think it's a possible find! eBay is filled with many, but I need to research the different models. It's a shame not many manufacturers are making Pocket Watches anymore.

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

If you are prepared to spend that amount, then you have a choice between a reconditioned, older watch, or buying a good quality watch which no longer works, from the likes of e-bay, and having it cleaned and lubricated. I imagine that there will be many cases of watches which are hardly worn, but no longer run, because the lubrication has dried up. One thing I have discovered, which may be of use to you, is that there are 2 basic cleaning methods. The first - which costs around £100.00, over in the UK - involves removing the mechanism, placing it, whole, in a cleaning machine with a cleaning and lubricating fluid, and then refitting it into the case and adjusting for time-keeping. The second and better procedure (costing around £400) is where the mechanism is taken apart, then cleaned, then each part is individually examined for any dirt still needing to be removed. When everything is 100% the parts are re-assembled, individually lubricated with the best oil, then adjusted for time-keeping. If you go down this route, make sure of which cleaning method is being offered, before you go ahead. The watch shown at 8.16 is my everyday watch. It is a Zenith, c. 1920s, with a solid gold case, fully reconditioned. I have had it for about 10 years, and have had it cleaned, once. It keeps such perfect time that it very seldom needs to be corrected. I had one problem, when I cracked its glass. (My job is a practical one, and often involves lying down in tight spaces.) As it happened, I knew the late George Daniels (www.danielslondon.com/) at the time, and he fitted a plastic 'lens' for me, which was a bit like going to a top surgeon for an insect bite. Surprisingly, his opinion was that the plastic lenses were better than the glass ones, and that has proved to be the case; no scratches, no more breakages. If you want to see some eye-watering prices, by the way, take a look at www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/2012/george-daniels-so-l12313.html

[@callicles3282]

Very nice video. Thank you

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Glad you found it so!

[@davidcooke7744]

Further to waring a pocket watch with jeans I took your advice with a cord but I used some micro paracord and made a weave and put a fib on the end. The watch dropped in the pocket and the cord slipped under my belt with the hanging out for show.

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

I wonder how you did the 'weave'? Sounds interesting!

[@MrDbroughton]

Well worth the time.

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Glad you think so, and thanks for writing in.

[@CountDain7]

This is really useful. Thanks !

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

I'm glad you found it so, and my apologies for not having seen your comment before this.

[@cryptoex5820]

Very informative video , Thank you

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Glad you liked it!

[@jimmyknox3342]

Offshoreorganbuilder, I recently picked up a waltham pocket watch at a yard sale for just a few dollars. He thought it was broken,because, though you can wind it and it worked, he couldn't set it. When I got home, I opened it and found a lever beside the"2" and problem solved! The numbers 6536584 are inside the case. It came with a chain marked "Simmons". Can you tell me more about it?

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

I'm afraid I cannot give you any information from my own experience, but Waltham's must have made many, many thousands of pocket-watches, so there will certainly be plenty of information out there on the web. I would expect that there will be a site listing serial numbers and dates, if you search long enough. Good luck!

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

p.s. It looks as if you got a real bargain, there!

[@EinarHovdastad]

Hi James. Then you really got a bargain. Your Waltham is a model 1883, produced March 1893 - December 1893. It's a size 18, 15 jewels quality watch! -Enjoy it and take good care of it! :) I myself have a small collection of English, Russian and American watches. Now, I learned from the gentleman here how to wear them. Thanks ;)

[@behzadmirmozaffari2563]

Very informative video. Thank you sir.

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

My pleasure! (and thanks for writing in.)

[@Poemwriter_Angelo]

i ordered myself a traditional silver pocket watch. and what a coincidence. i have 4 pair of Levis jeans.

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Then you should be all set to be on-time, in *style*!

[@barefoofDr]

It is just the sure pleasure of having a mechanical pocket watch in the bib of my overalls. That is why I carry a 140 year old pocket watch.

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Impressive!

[@szymongorczynski7621]

A friend of mine presented me with a very interesting question a while back. Something very obvious which you really don't notice until it is pointed out to you: Why is it that the number 4 in Roman numerals is generally presented as IV, but on clocks and watches it's IIII? I've searched everywhere and I can't find the answer!

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Very true. I've wondered about this, myself, and the only answer which occurs to me is that, from an aesthetic point of view, the actual shape of IIII is a better balance for VIII on the other side of the dial, than IV. (I've just looked up, "why IIII instead of IV on watches" on Google, and this seems to be the most likely explanation.)

[@szymongorczynski7621]

Offshoreorganbuilder I shall be proudly wearing my pocket watch to my 5th year formal tomorrow night!

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Thanks for the comment, which I have only just noticed, now that You Tube no longer notifies my of activity on my videos. I hope all went well at the 'formal' and I expect that you were the only one there with enough style and confidence to wear a pocket-watch! (Did you, though, wear a *real* bow tie?!)

[@szymongorczynski7621]

Yes, I was the only one with my pocket watch, and no! I just had a normal tie!

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Right ... Then, if you have not yet seen it, you ought to view kzbin.info/www/bejne/haC4o5hmqsyeo6s and complete your sartorial education!

[@manualhopper]

You can't beat an Albert Chain!

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Indeed not. (And one of its more interesting features is that, like the waistcoat, its attractiveness increases with the waistline of the wearer - an almost unique feature!) Thanks for the comment.

[@manualhopper]

When I was Head Butler of Blenheim Palace, it was in the syllabus that if a timepiece is to be worn it must be a fob watch. Gold Albert chain for evening; silver for daytime. It is very useful because you won't scratch anything when polishing tables and such like, as might happen with a wristwatch. Also, there is far more weight in the physicality of checking the time when its a pocket watch.

[@manualhopper]

I still wear one nowadays, and my brother saw me doing the gardening with it the other day!

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Yes, I agree. More gravitas altogether. A ne're-do-well glances at his wristlet watch (which he might even carry, upside down on the left wrist, in the worst cases) but a *gentleman* uses both hands to withdraw the pocket-watch on its chain, and *consults* it! There is all the difference in the world between the two ...

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

By the way, at what point does 'daytime' become 'evening,' and thus indicate the change of the Albert, from silver to gold?

[@ZarlanTheGreen]

A digital watch won't last as long? How so? Please correct me if I'm wrong, but... It is a lot simpler with barely any moving parts, so it should last longer, if anything. Also, a mechanical watch needs occasional expensive maintenance, while a digital watch only needs the occasional, very cheap and simple, battery replacement.

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Thanks for your interesting question. When I say, ' ... won't last as long,' I am thinking of decades, perhaps many decades. My everyday pocket-watch was made in the 1920s, and I have one watch made around 1830. Both are excellent quality and both keep very good time - i.e. around 20 seconds per week, which is perfectly acceptable. (When you own such a watch, it is second nature to glance at it, when the time signal happens to come on the radio, say, and make any small alteration, so it's no problem. This is what everyone did, in the days before digital. No, ordinary, mechanical watch will keep absolutely precise time, but in the real world, you do not need to know the time to the second.) Where will the digital watch be in 20 or 30 years, I wonder? Almost certainly in the landfil. Now, you are correct, when you imply that pocket-watches can be an expensive hobby. The two watches I have just mentioned require expert cleaning and lubrication every 5 to 10 years, at a cost of around £400. But you don't keep an antique or high end pocket watch to just to tell the time. Like going on holidays abroad (costing many hundreds) fancy weddings (thousands!) and other common extravagances, these are a personal indulgence. How many parents spend £500 or so on an iphone for their children, only to have it wrecked or lost in a couple of years, if that?! And, if you don't want to spend great sums on a pocket-watch, there is no need to. The digital watch - pocket or otherwise - is fine in itself, but, in my case, and many others, it simply does not have the inherent interest gained from owning a piece of quality craftsmanship.

[@khaleedbalogun8698]

Very nice 👍

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Thanks!

[@aldaricvontieman5509]

Thanks!

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Glad you liked it!

[@Welther47]

Is it just me or is it impossible to get a new mechanical pocket watch with more than 17 jewels? Are they simple not made anymore?

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Interesting. I am afraid I do not understand enough about watch design to know why '17' seems to be the magic number. Perhaps some other viewer could enlighten us.

[@themaskedguitarman]

Almost all new pocket watches use the Chinese Standard Movement. I've serviced a few. There are only very few pocket watches released by mainstream Swiss manufacturers and these are usually to commemorate something, made in small numbers and prohibitively expensive. 17 jewel Chinese movements are fine... But they are made to a very low finishing standard. Unless the watch is sentimental, it's usually not worth fixing as you can buy a new one significantly cheaper than the service price. At the point you reach 17 jewels, a basic movement will have a jeweled seat for every fast moving component. It's perfectly fine. However, if you are after quality, I would invest in a older pocket watch in good condition and have it professionally serviced to ensure its accuracy and long term performance. There are plenty of 17 jewel pocket watches operating to 4 second accuracy a day.

[@joelbutler4774]

Bravo!!

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Thank you!

[@davidcooke7744]

The weave is a called a cobra weave look at the bored paracord channel.

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Thanks! - I'll look it up.

[@michael5637]

If it's good enough for the son of the man who started the civil war then it's good enough for me

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Very true! (Apologies for the delay in replying to you.)

[@thomaspiercejr4483]

Wonderful video... but how can you give a history of pocket watches and not talk about the railroad?!?!?!

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Thanks for the interesting comment and I'm glad you liked the video. The reason for not including the use of the pocket watch, in the 'railroad' (or 'railway,' as we say in the UK) is one of limited time. Most people, these days, have such a limited attention span (being products of the brain-softening modern education system) they regard any video of more than 3 or 4 minutes as 'too long.' The main purpose of the video was to show how a pocket watch could be worn. The historical introduction was therefore limited. I agree with you, that many interesting details could be added. Before the railways, in Britain (and presumably, also, in the USA) each town and village would have its own version of the correct time, and the most accurate timepiece would be the sundial on the church tower. I believe some towns referred to 'local time' as opposed to 'railway time.' If you care to write something about the pocket watch and the railway, and post it here, I'll be glad to pin it to the top of the page.

[@محمدفراج-ض2ز]

انا شب من سورية

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Glad to hear from you.

[@28ebdh3udnav]

I just bought a $13 mechanical watch from China

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Interesting! Let us know what you think, once you have become used to it.

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

You never know ... it might be just fine!

[@xlXTBUSXlx]

Rabbi Shekelberg oh yes Moshe, I agree what a embarrassment! can’t wait to laugh about this at temple on Saturday

[@khaleedbalogun8698]

How was King Charles able to come up with good advices did he have a council

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

I'm not sure, and it's certainly too late to ask him! (Thanks for the interesting comment/)

[@coopdivi]

He was a trendsetter -- or in today's terms, an influencer.

[@toocoolforu]

I have a pocket watch : a phone :)

[@Offshoreorganbuilder]

Yes ... but a 'phone' has *no* gravitas or originality whatsoever! Get some class ... get some style ... get a pocketwatch! Oh, and swat that wretched fly! (Thanks for the comment. :))

[@toocoolforu]

Thanks for the answer! I was merely trolling ;) I plan to buy my first mecanical watch this summer. Your video is fascinating

[@jpolar394]

I call it a " zombie phone " get some real class and get a pocket watch. Thank you.