There is something about IWC pocket watches that seems effortless. A quality that you can just feel. I've often thought about why that is... I think there are a few factors. Firstly, they often finished their hand sets very well. Importantly, they spent attention on the constant seconds hand. Just think: How many manufacturers made seconds hands like these? Thick and angled. Then there was the consistent quality of their movements. Just look at a C 95 and you will understand. And the consistent quality of their dials and cases. They often just seemed to get it right... the whole feel. I don't know. When I wear an IWC pocket watch, I just feel like a million bucks. Pocket watches are part of IWC's DNA They continued to produce them through the 50's, 60's, 70's... and beyond. And their quality maintained itself decades after many other manufactures cheapened their calibers and overall finishing. This proved lucky - as they still occasionally use variations of their age old pocket watch calibers in modern Portuguese wristwatches. .
Thanks for this post - a thoughtful reflection/meditation. As a casual observer of these pieces, it strikes me that part of the visual balance stems from the "cleanness" of the dial and numerals, offset in subtle proportion by the "curviness" of the hands. In my non-expert experience, I have found vintage Longines watches to also hit such a sweet spot. All things rounded can verge towards a more ornate/ornamental vibe, all things square can tend towards a more industrial vibe, a bit of each can result in a clean but "warm' effect, which I believe is well acheived in the examples you show above. If these categories were transposed onto architecture/ decor, I might say they would yield art Deco, mid-century modern and "mid-century noir", respectively.
Dials and hands are the stars where the case plays a supporting role. Clean and elegant. These are fantastic.
Ever since I saw your collection I've always been trying to find a "use case" for owning maybe even just 1. I have leads for so many nice pieces but never pull the trigger. All my pockets have stuff in them already!
I don't usually wear pocket watches in a fancy style. I wear jeans a lot - and they tend to have a 5th pocket, which was originally intended for pocket watches over 100 years ago. The fifth pocket on today's jeans are more ornamental, being too small and narrow for most pocket watches. Still, the more modern, thin ones of the 1940's and 1950's fit snugly. I use a metal chain. Though I want to find a nice leather one eventually. I enjoy equipping pocket watches onto waistcoats - but I don't often get the opportunity. Here is an engaging and amusing video on the subject.