It's Official

[Ray MacDonald]

The Director of WUS has given the OK, so the Vintage and Pocket Watches forum is now the place to post about any sort of pocket watch - antique, vintage, NOS, or brand new.
The thinking behind this is that there are more pocket watch nuts in this forum who can help with questions. And although pocket watches may not all be vintage, the concept of a pocket watch certainly is.
So JohnF, myself, visiting moderators and our members are all welcome to answer questions and discuss the neat new pocket watches as well as the classics.
We'll cross post any discussion of military pocket watches to the Pilot and Military Watch Forum as well.

[Chascomm]

The Director of WUS has given the OK, so the Vintage and Pocket Watches forum is now the place to post about any sort of pocket watch - antique, vintage, NOS, or brand new.
The thinking behind this is that there are more pocket watch nuts in this forum who can help with questions. And although pocket watches may not all be vintage, the concept of a pocket watch certainly is.
So JohnF, myself, visiting moderators and our members are all welcome to answer questions and discuss the neat new pocket watches as well as the classics.
We'll cross post any discussion of military pocket watches to the Pilot and Military Watch Forum as well.OK, I can't resist. Here's my late-model Molnija 'Order of the Great Patriotic War'. It's not vintage, but the case goes back to Soviet times, the movement has been in production since the 1950s and the French calibre on which it was based dates back to the 1930s.

And the case decorations are an historical theme :-d

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f306/Chascomm/voina3.jpg

http://i50.photobucket.com/albums/f306/Chascomm/voina2.jpg

And just for good measure, I've attached some pics of my 'Michel Rene' from Hong Kong circa 1985, with Poljot movement. The watch that got me started on this hobby. Apart from that, it's only historical significance is that it was made in that narrow period when Hong Kong favoured Soviet mechanical movements (between when the Swiss pin-levers ran out and before the PRC Standard jewelled-levers took over).

What I don't have is a picture of the $30 generic Swiss quartz pocket-watch which was my only watch for about 15 years. 3 crystals, 3 chain-bows and half a dozen batteries later it was still running strong when I retired it.

[Ray MacDonald]

Thanks for posting Chas.
The Molnija is a perfect example of the "vintage concept-new product" idea that fits into the pocket watch category. Do you actually wear these watches out in polite company?

[WX1]

The Director of WUS has given the OK, so the Vintage and Pocket Watches forum is now the place to post about any sort of pocket watch - antique, vintage, NOS, or brand new.
The thinking behind this is that there are more pocket watch nuts in this forum who can help with questions. And although pocket watches may not all be vintage, the concept of a pocket watch certainly is.
So JohnF, myself, visiting moderators and our members are all welcome to answer questions and discuss the neat new pocket watches as well as the classics.
We'll cross post any discussion of military pocket watches to the Pilot and Military Watch Forum as well.

Alright!!!

Count me in as one of those "pocket watch nuts"; gotta say, I really LOVE the new one I have (Tissot; mentioned before in another thread, so, I won't sound like a broken record) and I love this section of the 'site, of course.

Hear, hear! The concept of the pocket watch IS vintage and, above all, CLASSIC when it comes to watches. Tried and true. To me, pocket watches are the classical music, the great literature/literary criticism, et al. when it comes to watches as well (i.e., maybe not as popular as wristwatches, but, known to all and revered when a pocket watch presents itself :-! and, yes, I realize that studies such as John Carey's What Good Are the Arts? might have a parallel or tad bit differing opinion, but, I would think, still in the same neighborhood).

My 150th post was destined for this entry!

[Ray MacDonald]

The pocket watch certainly has the history, the workmanship and the accuracy to command the interest of any mechanical pocket watch collector. However it's been passed by in the fashion sense. Hardly anyone wears a three piece suit anymore with the exception of JohnF. :-d Also there's no watch pocket in most trousers to hold a pocket watch safely.
I guess unless the Victorian or Teddy Boy look makes a comeback we'll all be stuck using our pocket watches as desk clocks - unless we dress up in a tux.
Pity. :-|

[Chascomm]

Thanks for posting Chas.
The Molnija is a perfect example of the "vintage concept-new product" idea that fits into the pocket watch category. Do you actually wear these watches out in polite company?I certainly do. Some of my more conservative collegues have concerns about me. The Molnija seems to confirm all that! :-d

I actually started wearing a pocket watch for practical reasons while I was training as a cartographer. Back then the work was all done by hand and I didn't want a watch strap scraping on the film. So I hung my old Timex wristwatch on a chain. Then I thought I'd treat myself to the real deal and got the Michel Rene; which broke down a couple of months later (typical cheap hunter case; the dirt got in through the catch). There followed the quartz and that was it for many years

...until I discovered the local battery guy also serviced mechanical watches. I dug Michel out of the back of a cupboard, Battery Guy looked at it and commented that it was Russian. I'd heard some positive things about Russian watches so I got curious. Now I've got two dozen watches on regular rotation!:roll:

And I really must take a picture of my new-old Meihualu (thanks Zhang :-!), which is my current most-used PW. The black dial is probably not original, but it's so ...iconic.