Calling all Pocket Watch Buffs

ghce · 2025-03-09T09:54:30-0500

Due to the above post on an unknown PW I thought it might be interesting to post pics of almost but not quite RR grade watches or if you like retailers and manufactures being a little less than truthful to the consumer.

Here are the only 3 in my collection that are somewhat explicit in their efforts at trying to appear as other than they are.

Though I have to say these all keep excellent time none have the magic words " Adjusted" so really just deceptively labeled.

Duracuir1 · 2025-03-09T10:07:01-0500

Canuck · 2025-03-09T10:21:36-0500

I have a wannabe railroad watch as well. By the standards of today, this watch would be classed as a fraud. The information I have is that it was done for a Chicago firm by Trenton Watch Co. (Trenton, New Jersey). The movement is marked “23-jewels” (it has 7-jewels, plus 6 celluloid “cap” jewels with no hole jewel. Total 7 + 6 =13 jewels.). Adjusted (NOT adjusted). Name on the dial “Locomotive Special” and a locomotive and tender (dead giveaway t’ain’t no railroad watch). Probably sold for under $10.00 110 years ago, when a legitimate railroad standard watch would have sold for 4 x the price. Nickel silver case. Likely showed enough visible cues to convince the unwary that it was legit.

Canuck · 2025-03-09T10:27:17-0500

Duracuir1

I recognize that watch.

ghce · 2025-03-09T10:33:37-0500

Canuck
I have a wannabe railroad watch as well. By the standards of today, this watch would be classed as a fraud. The information I have is that it was done for a Chicago firm by Trenton Watch Co. (Trenton, New Jersey). The movement is marked “23-jewels” (it has 7-jewels, plus 6 celluloid “cap” jewels with no hole jewel. Total 7 + 6 =13 jewels.). Adjusted (NOT adjusted). Name on the dial “Locomotive Special” and a locomotive and tender (dead giveaway t’ain’t no railroad watch). Probably sold for under $10.00 110 years ago, when a legitimate railroad standard watch would have sold for 4 x the price. Nickel silver case. Likely showed enough visible cues to convince the unwary that it was legit.

I would think even by the standards in place at its manufacture and sale fraud would have been legally what it was especially with incorrect jewel count doubled down with having fake jewels let alone the fraudulent use of the word adjusted.
It's always interesting to look back at past trading practices that Some Swiss companies employed, so prevalent was this sort of practice as soon a I see the word swiss on a PW and or listing I just move on which is a bit sad as there were some genuine and good movement manufactures also many of which appear in the PW thread.

Canuck · 2025-03-09T11:03:16-0500

In the world of watches today, fraudulent copies of famous watches abound. For the most part, the sources for such copies are anonymous, and the legitimate manufacturers just seem to shrug off the existence of such fraud. My fake railroad watch was made before legislation to counter such flagrant misrepresentation existed, I suspect. It appears that first happens the fraud, then the legislation.

TexOmega · 2025-03-09T11:51:10-0500

American Watch Co.
circa 1867, one of my oldest US pw.

18s PS Bartlet KWKS
5oz Coin Silver case

And, Mr. Taylor must have had a sense of humor, love the bug 🐛 motif.

Had this one 25 years or so, works when wound, finally need to get a visit to my watchmaker scheduled.

Canuck · 2025-03-09T13:33:16-0500

I had trouble opening the pocketwatchdatabase.com site today. Buy the early American Watch Co. watch posted by @TexOmega appears to be from circa 1867. My earliest AWCCo watch is an 1857 model. Made circa 1875. The movement is engraved Waltham Watch Co., and the dial is marked American Watch Co. The dial likely made much earlier than the movement.

https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/waltham/856357

The information says “adaptable” which means, being a key wind, key set movement (not stem wound), the movement could be used in an open faced case, or rotated 90° counter clockwise, and used in a hunter case.

Canuck · 2025-03-09T13:52:21-0500

TexOmega
American Watch Co.
circa 1867, one of my oldest US pw.

18s PS Bartlet KWKS
5oz Coin Silver case

And, Mr. Taylor must have had a sense of humor, love the bug 🐛 motif.

Had this one 25 years or so, works when wound, finally need to get a visit to my watchmaker scheduled.

Finally opened the pocketwatchdatabase site. Here is the info on @TexOmega ‘s watch.

https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/search/result/waltham/374328

This information uses the word “adadptable” which means the movement could be used an either an open faced case or a hunter case. However, when the @TexOmega watch was made (circa 1867), chances are that the American Watch Co. might not yet have been producing open faced watches.