Pocket watches for the distinguished gentleman about town

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Everyone wants to know the time as time cannot be replaced. Whether it is pocket watches, wristwatches or electronic watches, a watch is a means to keep track of time.  In the history of timekeeping, it dates back to the 16th century, when the very first pocket watch appeared on the lapel or waistcoat of the gentry. These first watches being rather bulky and heavy could not be carried in pockets and had to be worn around the neck on a chain. Soon the wearing around the neck proved its inconvenience and the first pocket watches were developed.

A gentleman’s attire was never complete without the accessory of a pocket watch to complement his overall look. This was good for the man of leisure. But when World War I broke out there was a need to have a much more convenient way to read the time and the wristwatch was developed and proved its convenience. The pocket watches became dress watches and a collector’s item.

With the steady development of rail roads in the later 1800s the pocket watches was in much usage till strict standards were set in 1893 for railroad staff carrying pocket watches. This was brought about when disaster hit in Kipton Ohio by the result of the two trains to be on the same track at the wrong time by improper timing by a watch belonging to an engineer when it had stopped for 4 minutes. It was hoped by the new standards rail road tragedies would be averted. 

There are two styles of pocket watches that was available, one being the open face watch and the other called hunter case.  The open face watch does not have a covering over the watch and is exposed to all the elements and liable to be damaged. The hunter case watch however has a metal cover to protect the crystal and its face from dust, dirt and scratches.  There’s yet another style called the half hunter face. This has a glass covering and the convenience of not having to open the case to read the time as it could be read through it.

The time was set by winding the mechanism with a key and these were the early designs of pocket watches. Then in 1850 it was developed to the stem wind and set system and since newer ways to set the time and get the mechanism going were developed over time.