Pocket Watches
Early 20th Century American Art Deco Pocket Watches
Diamond, Pearl, Platinum
1880s French Victorian Antique Pocket Watches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Sterling Silver
1920s Unknown Art Deco Vintage Pocket Watches
Diamond, Platinum
Late 19th Century British Late Victorian Antique Pocket Watches
White Diamond, Diamond, 18k Gold, Enamel
1850s French Antique Pocket Watches
Pearl, Gold, Enamel
1880s English Victorian Antique Pocket Watches
Garnet, Pearl, Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
1920s Art Deco Vintage Pocket Watches
Pearl, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
1920s Swiss Vintage Pocket Watches
Diamond, Onyx, 14k Gold, Platinum, White Gold
Early 20th Century Swiss Pocket Watches
Diamond, Onyx, Sapphire, Platinum
19th Century French Art Nouveau Antique Pocket Watches
Diamond, Enamel, 18k Gold
20th Century Swiss Pocket Watches
Diamond, Gold
20th Century Pocket Watches
Diamond, Gold
20th Century Swiss Pocket Watches
Diamond, 18k Gold
1930s Unknown Vintage Pocket Watches
Pearl, 14k Gold
19th Century Unknown Modern Antique Pocket Watches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Enamel
1920s American Art Deco Vintage Pocket Watches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold, Platinum, Enamel
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Pocket Watches
White Diamond, White Gold, 18k Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Pocket Watches
Black Diamond, 18k Gold, Yellow Gold
21st Century and Contemporary Italian Contemporary Pocket Watches
Sapphire, White Diamond, Emerald, 18k Gold, White Gold
Early 20th Century Art Deco Pocket Watches
Diamond, Onyx, 18k Gold, Platinum, Yellow Gold
1940s Swiss Vintage Pocket Watches
Diamond, 18k Gold, Rose Gold
Early 20th Century Swiss Art Nouveau Pocket Watches
Diamond, Pearl, 18k Gold, Enamel
Mid-19th Century Belle Époque Antique Pocket Watches
Diamond, Natural Pearl, Platinum
20th Century American Modern Pocket Watches
Diamond, Gold, 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.