ANy body here know anything about skeliton pocket watches? I want a decent one...

[ScaryFatKidGT]

So I recently got a cheap but cool pocket watch with a limited edition video game and I have been carrying it around and it has made me want a "real" one, something between like $50-$150? The only thing I have been able to find is Charles hubert watches? Other wise every things $20 or like solid gold.

I want it dark stainless steel or maybe silver and with a solid cover but see through face, some have see through covers and its like, whats the point of opening it then? If battery powered it would be cool if it had multiple dials or like a analog stop watch or something? I have scene these on wrist watches, like an individual analog "seconds" gauge, or stop watch. If mechanical just one dial and the skeleton insides is cool enough.

How often do you have to wind a wind up? Don't some mechanical watches operate just by body movement?

 

[Jumpmaster]

From my research, all of those watches are junk. I wanted a nice pocket too...I thought it would be a good idea to get a new one, but when I started looking into the models you mentioned, the consensus I found was that many very knowledgeable watch collectors consider them to be highly variable in quality...with most basically being junk...many only have just a few jewels and are basically meant to be throwaway watches. They were never intended to be good quality heirlooms...nor last more than a few years.

And before I forget, yes -- there are automatic WRIST watches...not really any automatic pocket watches. From what I read, they wouldn't really work well due to the limited movement of the watch...for instance, you use your hands frequently so automatic wrist watches can wind themselves through that activity. Pocket watches basically sit in your pocket, not moving much at all...so they wouldn't be able to wind much with an automatic movement...again, this was from what I'd read when researching pocket watches.

Ok, so after I read all those things, I started to look into antique pocket watches. They were made much better than the modern ones you mentioned. I ended up getting a "railroad" type watch...a Hamilton 992 with 21 jewels. It is a really great watch...mine came with a Montgomery dial (all minutes are numbered) and a display back. It's not a skeleton type like you want, but probably the closest you'll find in a good antique watch. If you watch ebay carefully, you can probably pick one up for around $300-$400 or so. If that is expensive for you, just wait a little longer and save up a little more.

Some of the brands that are considered to be the best quality are Hamilton, Elgin, Ball, and Illinois. You can look up the specs for "railroad" watches, but generally it means Arabic numerals, lever set, certain number of jewels, etc. The more jewels, the better...I think I decided I wouldn't get one with less than 19 jewels. Also, look out for watches with the adjustment maxed out on one side or the other ("S"low to "F"ast)...that could mean it will need to be cleaned, which can cost a couple hundred bucks.

As far as how often to wind it, you should be able to wind it once a day. It's recommended to wind it at the same time every day so you'll remember to wind it. Some models are made to run longer between windings, but they were too expensive so I don't remember which ones as I'd eliminated them from consideration early on.

lf you have any questions, let me know and I'll try to answer them...I learned a whole lot when I began looking for a watch for myself.

 

[StarHalo]

The catch with a quality antique watch is the upkeep; aside from the winding, you have to take it for servicing every few years to lube the internals which is notably more expensive than an oil change. Style is expensive..

 

[Jumpmaster]

Yeah, you have to do that with automatic / mechanical wristwatches too...

I've read you can go around 4 or 5 years between cleaning/oiling...and that time also varies with different movements, number of jewels, environment, etc.

Some people have opted to learn how to disassemble, clean, lube, and assemble their pocket watches so they can hang onto that money themselves. I will be doing this once I find a couple of cheap movements to practice on.

 

[ScaryFatKidGT]

So I should just get some cheap $20 thing like a walmart flashlight? Theres no Surefire or Benchmade of pocket watches? Nothing in between $20 and a Rolex?

 

[Jumpmaster]

No. Not from what I've found in the several months I researched them. I wanted thst option to be available too! That was what I tried to find first and then I found numerous threads about how horrible the new ones are.

I guess if you don't care about radium, you could get a 50's-60's model a lot cheaper, but probably not with a display case...if you don't have to have a display case (for the 'skeleton' look), then you can probably get a 60's or 70's model pretty cheaply. It might be quartz instead of mechanical though.

Heck, Calibri used to make quartz pocket watches pretty cheap too...I still have my old one I should probably put up for sale...it got displaced when I got the 992.

If you can bring yourself to save up for the $300 one, with a little maintenance, youll be able to use it for the rest of your life and eventually pass it on to a family member.

Oh, and $300 is *not* "rolex" level for pocket watches...$300-$400 is rather on the cheap end of decent vintage watches...most run well over $500 up to thousands for the repeater complications.

Anyway, I empathize with you...I really do...but as starhalo said, elegance / style comes at a price.

If you think you really want one of the cheapie, asian-made junkie ones, you could always buy one and just use it until it craps out...just might be hard finding anyone that can or will fix it as it would probably be cheaper to buy another one...and from what I've read, they rarely last more than a few years. Occasionally, someone would say they got a decent one that was well made and kept good time, but for every one of those I read, there were at least ten others saying what a huge POS they were.

 

[ScaryFatKidGT]

I found this one http://www.amazon.com/dp/B002NSMF8W/?tag=cpf0b6-20

 

[Jumpmaster]

Yeah, but the Charles Hubert ones are in the same category as the other asian junk.

If you don't belive me, go ask about them on watchuseek.com or other good watch forum and see what they say. Just make sure you're wearing an asbestos coat first.

I mean, if you want to get it because you like the way it looks and it's cheap, go ahead. Just don't get mad when it can't keep time right or it breaks quickly and no one will fix it because they can't get parts or would cost more than the watch is worth.