Pocket watches used to be a very important accessory in men’s fashion. The history of pocket watches dates back to the sixteenth century when it was called the Nuremberg watches. The size of pocket watches back then was considerably questionable as it had only just transitioned from timepieces. It used to be fastened to the attire or worn around the neck like a necklace shaped like a cylindrical drum or rounded like an egg back in the day. As technology progressed, with the introduction of screws, the size of the watches became considerably small and can be carried around the pocket.
As time went by pocket watches became a luxury until the Americans began mass producing them. Even though it was still considered to be an upper-class luxury, the American made watches came at reasonable prices making it available to sailors and railroad workers. The Swiss watches were handmade and very expensive. The breakout of The Great War saw the decline of pocket watches and the emergence of wrist watches, as it defined the difference between life or death. Pocket watches had become obsolete during the time World War II encouraged trench watches. Passed on from generations as an heirloom, it is still fashionable in today’s world. So let us take a look at how to wear a pocket watch.
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Choosing your watch
- Heirloom watches
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If you already have a pocket watch passed on from generations, you can choose to use it. But there are considerable risks associated with it. Usually, an heirloom watch is irreplaceable. So you have to make the decision to carry it around accepting the risk of damaging or losing it. Most of the heirloom watches would not be in working conditions. So get it fixed from a well-reputed person who repairs the watch. Make sure to have the chain tightly secured to the watch to reduce the risk of losing it.
Cleaning the watch is very important as it might show the wear and tear it has carried over the years. Get your hands on a metal polish because almost all these watches are made of metal and carefully remove the tarnish from all the parts including the grooves of the engraving. You might not be able to get it back to its mint condition. But still, the efforts are worth it.
- Buying a pocket watch
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If you do not have a pocket watch passed on from generations, the only option you have is to buy a pocket watch for yourself. The first thing you have to do is to choose the type of metal you want the pocket watch to be made of. It comes in different varieties made from gold, silver, brass and steel, but silver being the most come one. Once you have made up your mind on the metal, look out for the level of detail you want in the watch. There are different levels of details in pocket watches ranging from plain and simple surfaces to intricately decorated covers engraved with patterns and other designs.
Source: Medieval Collectables
Another thing to consider is to buy a new or used watch. The price of each watch will vary with the new watches usually costing more than the used one unless it is a collectable. Collectables would cost a lot more than the normal used or new watches. If you are looking for a watch that would work for a long time, it is better to go for a new pocket watch. The best thing to do is to choose a new pocket watch according to your budget. If you really want to go for a used watch, make sure not to buy them online. The reason being the lack of ways to check if the watch is in working condition as well as the inability to crosscheck the correctness of the details mentioned.
- Chains, Holders, Loops, Fobs and Straps
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Once you have made a choice on the watch you are going to buy, the next thing to take care is to choose your style among chains, holders, loops, fobs or straps. The widely used and the most common accessory with a pocket watch is a chain, but it all depends on personal taste. Chains come in different styles and colors each made of different metals, sporting diverse lengths and designs.
A leather holder is something similar to the mobile holder which slides over the belt. The watch will be efficiently protected inside the leather holder. The leather fob is similar to chains, instead. It is made out of leather. The buckle end holds the watch and the belts are to be worn through the loop of the fob. The leather strap, on the other hand, used to carry the pocket watch in the small watch pocket that are available in jeans or the front pocket of your pants. Another variety is the Vest-chains, available in two styles namely Single and Double Albert. The Double Albert style chains can pair the pocket watch with a pocket knife.
- The Look
Even though pocket watches are an old fashioned accessory, there are a variety of different looks you can choose from to sport yours. There are four different styles to sport a pocket watch:
Classic – This look refers when you wear the pocket watch in the pocket of a suit vest giving it the old fashioned look.
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Casual – Leaving the pocket watch in you pants pocket which you can fish out and flash only when you got to check the time. A leather strap can be hooked to the belt to give away the existence of a surprise in the pocket.
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Laborer – Sport a pocket watch on the front bib pocket while wearing overalls to give an unusual look. Add a laborer-style outfit of boots, a cap and a heavy rugged chain to complete the look.
Theatrical – Associated with themed outfits, the pocket watches can help you make a statement. Combine it with classy old fashion styles to take the level up a notch.
Pocket watches are an important part when we look into the fashion styles of the generations from the sixteenth to early twentieth century. Combining the intricate styles with the objective of time tracking, pocket watches proved to be one of the main accessories of the time. It may have gone out of style, but sporting it even these days are considered to be the sign of class making a bold statement about where we come from.
