Van Cleef Pocket Watch

Find the exact van cleef pocket watch you’re shopping for in the variety available on 1stDibs. Frequently made of 18k gold, gold and rose gold, this item was constructed with great care. Our collection of these items for sale includes 16 vintage editions and 1 modern creations to choose from as well. You’re likely to find the perfect van cleef pocket watch among the distinctive items we have available, which includes versions made as long ago as the 19th Century as well as those produced as recently as the 21st Century. A van cleef pocket watch from Van Cleef & Arpels, C.H. Meylan and Gay Freres — each of whom created a beautiful version of this treasured accessory — is worth considering. A van cleef pocket watch can make for a versatile accessory, but a selection from our variety of 2 diamond versions can add an especially stylish touch. A mixed cut version of this piece has appeal, but there are also round cut and uncut versions for sale. Most of our van cleef pocket watch for sale are for men, but there are 8 pieces available to browse for women.

The price for a van cleef pocket watch starts at $1,500 and tops out at $19,750 with these watches, on average, selling for $14,250.

Can you pull off a vintage pocket watch? Of course you can. With a suit and a waistcoat, a pocket watch can be a refreshing alternative to a wristwatch.

The earliest pocket watches were luxury items, and, owing to cost, they weren’t commonplace until the 19th century. Artfully crafted pocket watches were a symbol of wealth, and manufacturers such as Vacheron Constantin and Patek Philippe became known for theirs. (Today, they’re among the most sought after by collectors and enthusiasts.)

At the onset, pocket watches resembled small round table clocks, and pulling your small round table clock — perhaps of the silver variety — out of your breast pocket in front of someone else demonstrated unequivocally that you cared about punctuality. For collectors, pocket watches are big, and that means a larger canvas provided for functions without crowding the dial. For example, the Marius Lecoultre pocket watch — made circa 1890 — does everything but uncork your wine.

In the late 1800s, the open-face pocket watch became a staple on the American railroad. It was a requirement for railway workers to wear a pocket watch, as the timepieces were responsible for keeping conductors on schedule. This was a boon to the watchmaking industry, with companies like Hamilton, the Elgin National Watch Company and the Waltham Watch Company producing high-grade and workingman’s watches.

By the 1930s, wristwatches comprised the bulk of watch manufacturing in America, superseding the pocket watch. Suddenly, if you wanted to know the time, you merely glanced at your wrist. But given their vintage charm and our general appetite for good design, pocket watches are a piece of statement-making jewelry and today can prove complementary to your formal attire in a manner that is stylish and unconventional.

Let time take its course — browse a vast selection of antique and vintage pocket watches available on 1stDibs designed by legendary brands such as IWC, Cartier and more.