Keeping perspective in time: A few early century watches.

Sometimes I lose perspective on just how old an old watch is. My grandmother was born in 1924 and most of the watches I collect were made when she was a teenager.

The following Longines is 114 years old. It was sold in the Edwardian era. There are less than 10 people on Earth who are older than this watch. The Kitty Hawk flew a few years prior and the Great War was still a few years ahead.

Message from Longines:

"The original serial number 1'458'536 identifies an open face pocket watch in 18ct gold and enamel. It is fitted with a Longines manually wound mechanical movement, caliber 18.89. It was invoiced on 26 August 1909 to the company Matthey, which was at that time our agent for Switzerland."



Next we have a watch from the same period. Roesgen & Cie was registered in 1907.



With the Longines below, we move up to 1919. The Great War has ended, with the abolishment of Austria-Hungary. The Treaty of Versailles was signed. Women were not yet allowed to vote in the United States.



I wish I could still talk to my grandmother. She died when I was young and we never shared a meaningful conversation about her life. These watches were made before she was born, by people that would have been her parent's age or older.

It never ceases to amaze me how these survive so long virtually unscathed, through the incredible upheaval of the European wars and great depressions. Who owned them, where were they put for safe keeping, hidden and long forgotten, to re emerge decades later. This is the reason I have this simple 1917 Omega pocket watch, I'd love to know its story. Thanks for sharing.
(Photo's courtesy of previous owner)

The movement dates to 1919 but it has a deco feel to the case, I believe.