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Re-cased pocket watches

7K views 22 replies 14 participants last post by  bigvatch 
#1 ·
I don't know to which extend this has been discussed here before, but a quick search didn't really show any results.

Lately I have come across a lot of re-cased vintage pocket watches on ebay. Most of these vendors are in eastern Europe and some in Germany. Some of them look poorly done while others actually look decent. Especially if you are in the market for a watch with a larger diameter (47mm to 48mm). Many use movements from vintage Omegas, A. Lange, etc.

Obviously these watches are not "real", because they have been modified beyond their initial intention.

Was just wondering what the general consensus is about these "custom" watches.

I didn't include any links to live ebay auctions since I believe that this is not allowed in this forum.
 
#2 ·
I would say the general consensus is to stay away from these sellers. Many of these vendors are in the Ukraine and Bulgaria. They are selling these frankenwatches and calling them originals. It's been discussed many times here.
 
#3 ·
I absolutely agree that they are Frankenwatches. I hope nobody believes that they are authentic vintage watches.

It just sparked an idea of converting my grandfather's pocketwatch into something wearable for me. It would have to be done in a professional way with a solid case. As long as I keep the original pocketwatch case and just "borrow" the movement and put it into a new classy case no harm should be done.

I would never buy from anybody on ebay that keeps their feedback private. Just one of my principles.
 
#4 ·
Sorry I read your post incorrectly. Personally I would rather keep the pocket watch as it was. You can easily find a PW fob that fits nicely on your belt. I have several pocket watches and I enjoy wearing them with a suit to work, or with jeans on the weekend.
 
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#5 ·
I say if you like the watch and understand what you are getting (and not getting), buy it if you like. Its your money. At least you are preserving one or more historical watch components, even if they are being used in "creative" fashions.

One could even argue that this is nothing more than recycling. They've taken something with little or no commercial value and found a new use for it.
 
#23 ·
I say if you like the watch and understand what you are getting (and not getting), buy it if you like. Its your money. At least you are preserving one or more historical watch components, even if they are being used in "creative" fashions.

One could even argue that this is nothing more than recycling. They've taken something with little or no commercial value and found a new use for it.
agree......as long as people understand what they are getting, and nobody is trying to trick anyone into thinking they are original and valuable, I don't see a big deal.

And don't a lot of honest watch makers salvage parts here and there to fix other watches? And these old dials (with or without the brand name ) is what gives the watch most of it's character anyways IMO
 
#6 · (Edited)
Remember you are getting a wristwatch that was designed as a pocket watch - no shock, dust or water protection and probably a glass crystal. Adjustments were probably made for running in a pocket, not on the wrist. Maybe the recase was of an open face movement so the dial has the small second hand at the 9 position, or the winding stem at 12.
Personally I think you are better off with a modern wristwatch or if you want a vintage wristwatch, get one that started life that way.
I've got a couple of my grandfathers' pocket watches - big honking 18S models. I'd never in a million years convert them to a wristwatch as the youngest one I have is 109 years old. They spend their golden years in a glass case.
Here's another thread:
https://www.watchuseek.com/showthread.php?t=379494
 
#8 ·
At the moment there are several of those Monsters for sale at a Scandinavian Auction house. I contacted the A.house with my concerns, i.e. incorrect description, new "manufacture", rubbish text on the casebacks and dial and generally misleading text in the Catalogue.
Despite 2 emails, all I got was that the movements are genuine and that the Expert (!??) they use thinks those conversions are possibly Vintage.

Personaly, I would never convert a PW to a WW, as this is a sure and easy way to destroy the movement.
Another reason apart from the ones mentioned by previous posters is, that the pocket watches have absolutely no seal between the hinged caseback and case, and the natural humidity (perspiration) will penetrate easily through the gap and get to the movement.
 
#9 ·
While I wouldn't take the movement out of a correct pocket watch, I'm sure there are plenty of old movements available out there. I think re-casing an old pocket watch movement into a new wristwatch case is better than simply tossing the movement out. Some of those old movements are really beautiful and I'd rather see them reused than simply scrapped.
 
#15 ·
while i wouldn't take the movement out of a correct pocket watch, i'm sure there are plenty of old movements available out there. I think re-casing an old pocket watch movement into a new wristwatch case is better than simply tossing the movement out. Some of those old movements are really beautiful and i'd rather see them reused than simply scrapped.
+1:-!
 
#10 ·
Ive purchased one of these strange breed watches off the bay full well knowing what I was receiving. Plain for interest sake. I liked it and still do.
As its been stated if you like whats been done great. Also as its been said there are tons of old PW movements on the bay and elsewhere for that matter that are being sold without cases since a lot of them have at one point or another been melted down or sold for scrap. This is a great use for them.
Personally I am a big fan of this conversion provided its stated as such in any sale and only when the size is kept to a 12s or smaller movement. 16s or larger winds up being one huge monstrosity of a wrist watch.
The only distaste I harbour for the sellers of these items is the obvious falsification of history or authenticity.

 
#11 ·
Most of these conversions have still the old case, with lugs added. So they are in fact destroying a fully functional unit/PW, not saving a caseless movement.
 
#12 ·
Not only the cases get destroyed, but look what these sellers do with the dials. They make up these crazy dials, which are wrong historically and create fancy listings with period photographs and often unrelated information, just to add some legitimacy to the franken watch.
 
#13 ·
Obviously these watches are not "real", because they have been modified beyond their initial intention.
I'm not sure if this falls in your category....and maybe it is "the exception that proves the rule", but I would insist that this watch is very real, and IMNSHO better than the original. The original "Observatory caliber Peseaux, created solely for observatory trials and never commercialized for the production." was not a pocket watch but an Obseravtory piece and has been completely refinished and modified with shock protection and new case, dial, and hands....

















Cheers,
Rob
 
#16 ·
No, I do not think it falls into the same category. It lacks the text on the dial. like "Eigentum die Luftfahrts Truppen", "Zeppelin Fl" etc etc. ;-)

That masterpiece is an example of using a highgrade movement, further improving it, and getting art as an end result.

A wonderful piece of Finnish horology!
 
#14 ·
I don't know to which extend this has been discussed here before, but a quick search didn't really show any results. Lately I have come across a lot of re-cased vintage pocket watches on ebay. Most of these vendors are in eastern Europe and some in Germany. Some of them look poorly done while others actually look decent. Especially if you are in the market for a watch with a larger diameter (47mm to 48mm). Many use movements from vintage Omegas, A. Lange, etc. Obviously these watches are not "real", because they have been modified beyond their initial intention.
Was just wondering what the general consensus is about these "custom" watches. I didn't include any links to live ebay auctions since I believe that this is not allowed in this forum.
As long as you go into the purchase understanding that you are buying a watch that was assembled from some combination of parts then I see no problem with buying a marriage. Indeed it's not unusual for 100 year old pocketwatches to have been recased at least once in their life. It's worth remembering that as wristwatches became popular it was quite common for lugs to simply be added to an existing pocketwatch. And a lot of those old pocketwatch movements were also recased in the process.

Are the modern day watch makers you mentioned in europe really all that different from the watch makers in 1910? In both cases their motivation is to create a watch components that are out of style that can be sold.
 
#18 ·
Panerai also uses new modified PW movements.
IMO a better solution than using a spacer and a small WW movement.
But the movements are new, not from butchered PW.
Well, in fact, most of the Monsters have a butchered PW case too.

The OP's question is about Re-cased PW movements, but the vast majority of the Ukrainian Monsters are not recased.
 
#19 ·
Personally, I'd love to find an affordable 44mm re-cased Hamilton 921 movement with an original white Hamilton dial or a good repro dial in a wristwatch case. :-! I've been drooling over the RGM 222's with the Hamilton 921 movements for some time, but I'll never afford one. A re-case from the bay may be a reasonable option. :think:
 
#20 ·
What are the views of others about the RGM 222? I think it's a beautiful watch and a great re-casing of the 921 movement. I hadn't even considered it being called a "Frankenwatch" until reading this. I guess by definition it could be called that, but I would never consider it as such personally. Would this watch actually be frowned upon by watch folk??? :-s
 
#21 ·
No need for these frankenwatches when there are many many wristwatches made with the Unitas ETA 6497/6498 movement. A very good shock protected manual wind movement originally designed for pocket watches and still in production. In fact if you want to create your own watch you can buy these movements plus cases, dials, hands and wrist bands and assemble it yourself.
 
#22 · (Edited)
That is unless you live close to Lancaster where the original Hamilton factory was and you want something with some local historical significance that is one of a kind, nice and big, somewhat unusual and you can wear on your wrist. When someone says "hey, cool watch!" you can say "thanks, I built it myself from a old Hamilton pocket watch movement".... Plus, it's like recycling! Re-casing is green, man! :-!:-d
 
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