Find an expansive variety of open face pocket watches available on 1stDibs. These distinct designs — crafted with great care and often made from
Gold,
18k Gold and
Yellow Gold — can elevate any look. Our collection of these items for sale includes 210 vintage editions and 1 modern creations to choose from as well. Our collection, which features older pieces for sale from the 18th Century and newer versions made as recently as the 21st Century, has proven very popular over the years. There are many different pieces in our collection of open face pocket watches to choose from, but
Art Deco and
Art Nouveau open face pocket watches are of considerable interest. There have been many well-made iterations of these items over the years, but those made by
Patek Philippe,
Elgin and
Tiffany & Co. are often thought to be among the most beautiful. Any of these pieces can lend versatility to your look, but
Diamond versions, from our inventory of 4, are particularly popular. A selection of
round cut can be found today on these pages. When shopping our range of open face pocket watches, you’ll find that there are less available pieces for
women today than there are for
men.
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.