Pocket Watches
1960s Modern Vintage Pocket Watches
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1940s Swiss Art Deco Vintage Pocket Watches
1950s Swiss Vintage Pocket Watches
Gold Plate, Yellow Gold
20th Century Pocket Watches
Yellow Gold
1920s Art Deco Vintage Pocket Watches
Enamel
1940s Swiss Retro Vintage Pocket Watches
Stainless Steel
1970s Swiss Vintage Pocket Watches
Steel
Early 20th Century Pocket Watches
1920s Unknown Art Deco Vintage Pocket Watches
Silver
20th Century Swiss Pocket Watches
Mid-20th Century Swiss Contemporary Pocket Watches
Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
19th Century British Artisan Antique Pocket Watches
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 19th Century Unknown Renaissance Antique Pocket Watches
Pearl, Enamel
20th Century Swiss Artisan Pocket Watches
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
Early 19th Century French Empire Antique Pocket Watches
Silver, Enamel
Antique and Vintage Pocket Watches for Sale on 1stDibs
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.