Pocket Watches
1990s Swiss Retro Pocket Watches
Yellow Gold
20th Century French Retro Pocket Watches
18k Gold, Gold
1940s Swiss Retro Vintage Pocket Watches
Diamond, Gold, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
Late 20th Century Retro Pocket Watches
Gold Plate
Mid-20th Century Swiss Retro Pocket Watches
10k Gold, Gold-filled
1950s French Retro Vintage Pocket Watches
Onyx, 18k Gold, White Gold, Copper, Steel, Stainless Steel
1970s European Retro Vintage Pocket Watches
Diamond, Ruby, 18k Gold, White Gold
1950s French Retro Vintage Pocket Watches
Yellow Gold
1950s Swiss Retro Vintage Pocket Watches
Sterling Silver, Steel
20th Century Pocket Watches
Gold-filled
20th Century Pocket Watches
18k Gold, White Gold, Silver
Early 20th Century Swiss Pocket Watches
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
20th Century Swiss Artisan Pocket Watches
18k Gold
1890s European Antique Pocket Watches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Enamel
1970s Vintage Pocket Watches
Yellow Gold, Stainless Steel
19th Century American Antique Pocket Watches
Diamond, Enamel, Gold
Early 20th Century Swiss Pocket Watches
Yellow Gold, 14k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Swiss Pocket Watches
Diamond, Steel, Stainless Steel
1890s French Antique Pocket Watches
Early 20th Century American Pocket Watches
Brass
Early 20th Century Pocket Watches
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
1950s Swiss Retro Vintage Pocket Watches
Steel, Stainless Steel
20th Century Unknown Retro Pocket Watches
Sterling Silver, Enamel
1940s American Retro Vintage Pocket Watches
Gold
1960s Unknown Retro Vintage Pocket Watches
Gold-filled, Rose Gold
Late 19th Century Italian Retro Antique Pocket Watches
Gold Plate, Steel
1940s Retro Vintage Pocket Watches
Emerald, Yellow Gold, 18k Gold
1950s Swiss Retro Vintage Pocket Watches
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century American Retro Pocket Watches
14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1940s Swiss Retro Vintage Pocket Watches
Ruby, 18k Gold
Mid-19th Century Swiss Retro Antique Pocket Watches
18k Gold
1940s American Retro Vintage Pocket Watches
14k Gold
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.