Collecting Pocket Watches

Collecting pocket watches is a way to connect with the past. The first American pocket watch companies came to be be during the middle 19th century, well before the start of the Civil War. The first of these companies was the Waltham Pocket Watch Co., which had its start in 1850 in Waltham, Connecticut. Shortly thereafter, in 1867, the Elgin Pocket Watch Co. began, making inroads in the pocket watch market. These and the other original American pocket watch companies are now defunct, and the timepieces leftover are prized pieces of Americana, representing a time gone by.

Abraham Lincoln was said to have owned a Waltham pocket watch, and timepieces from the Civil War and earlier are especially prized by collectors. Many timepieces from these years have been serviced and still function, being sold on eBay and by professional watch collectors throughout the States, The more gold and authentic jewels present in a piece, the more the asking price, especially if the piece is in good working order.

If you are considering starting a collection of pocket watches, the best place to begin is at an online auction site like eBay, where you are most likely to find the best prices and accurate information. Dating your watch is easy. The movement of each pocket watch has a serial number stamped at the back which corresponds to the number of units produced, which in turn corresponds to the year the watch was produced. Dating charts are available at www.pocketwatchsite.com.