Pocket watches, once a staple of a gentleman’s wardrobe, are making a comeback. Maybe it’s the cottage core movement or that fashion truism that everything old is new again, but pocket watches have become more than a novelty item or a groomsman gift. If you’re interested in collecting the best men’s watches, you can’t ignore the best pocket watches any longer.
But what exactly constitutes a pocket watch anyway? In short, pocket watches are a timepiece with a chain that’s attached to a belt loop, waistcoat or lapel and kept either in the front of your pants, your suit, or your jacket. But there’s a lot more to learn about pocket watches and, surprisingly, some great options that you can buy right now.
There are two types of pocket watches: Lépine (open face) and Hunter. Hunter has a spring-loaded cover and acquired the name by fox hunters who needed a closed pocket watch that would survive galloping through the woods. It’s also sometimes called the Savonnette as it resembles a round bar of soap. The Hunter has a secondary sub-type, the Half-Hunter or Demi-Hunter. It’s a watch case with a glass window or hole showing the watch’s hands when the cover is closed.
History of the Pocket Watch
Clocks first made the transition to wearable items sometime during the 15th century. One of the famous clockmakers of that time was Nurenberg’s, Peter Heinlen. Although he’s credited as the inventor of the watch, there were other German clockmakers at that time who were also experimenting with miniature clocks. These early timepieces were worn around the neck and called ‘clock-watches,’ powered by small springs. Clock-watches were massive, heavy devices, usually measuring several inches in diameter. They were made up of brass and metal with a heavy grate over the face of the watch. They only possessed an hour hand and were more wore for status than for usage.
1. Tissot Unisex Savonnette Pocket Watch
Best Modern Option
Our favourite modern pocket watch is this Tissot Savonnette. It checks all the boxes of a great pocket watch with brand reliability, style and functionality. Blending a classic design with modern timepiece technology, this is the best pocket watch of 2020 by a mile. The watch’s case is durable brass that features gold and palladium tones and a sophisticated face that modernizes classic sensibility. Tissot’s Swiss quartz movement means you won’t have to worry about missing a second. And at $330, the watch doesn’t cost too much either — although it looks like it does.
2. Frederique Constant Pocket Watch
Best Splurge
Frederique Constant is a luxury Swiss watch company founded in 1988 by Peter Constant and Aletta Francoise Frédérique Stas-Bax, a married couple who used their grandfathers’ names for their company. Constant Stas founded a watch dials company in 1904 and Frederique Schreiner. In 2016, they sold their company to Citizen Holdings. Frederique Constant is based in Plans-Les Oates and produces thousands of watches a year. They create everything from smartwatches to tourbillons. Their silver-tone pocket watch has a 45mm case and is water-resistant to 30 meters. It is automatic, and the chain is included. The case and chain are rose gold-tone, and the dial is silvery-white.
3. Antique Swiss Made Pocket Watch
Most Reasonable Antique
If you’re looking for a functional antique pocket watch that ticks and has that specially aged patina, you couldn’t go wrong with this Swiss-made one. The case is silver plate, and it does keep time. Made between 1900-1919, it does not have a magnetic lever. This watch is on 1stDibs, and they have a wide selection of antique pocket watches that range from a few hundred dollars to sky-high luxury prices.
Pocket watches, once a staple of a gentleman’s wardrobe, are making a comeback. Maybe it’s the cottagecore movement or that fashion truism that everything old is new again, but pocket watches have become more than a novelty item or a groomsman gift. If you’re interested in collecting the best men’s watches, you can’t ignore the best pocket watches any longer.
4. Tissot Unisex Savonnette Pocket Watch
Best Modern Option
Our favorite modern pocket watch is this Tissot Savonnette. It checks all the boxes of a great pocket watch with brand reliability, style and functionality. Blending a classic design with modern timepiece technology, this is the best pocket watch of 2020 by a mile. The watch’s case is durable brass that features gold and palladium tones and a sophisticated face that modernizes classic sensibility. Tissot’s Swiss quartz movement means you won’t have to worry about missing a second. And at $330, the watch doesn’t cost too much either — although it looks like it does.
5. Antique Swiss Made Pocket Watch
Most Reasonable Antique
If you’re looking for a functional antique pocket watch that ticks and has that specially aged patina, you couldn’t go wrong with this Swiss-made one. The case is silverplate, and it does keep time. Made between 1900-1919, it does not have a magnetic lever. This watch is on 1stDibs, and they have a wide selection of antique pocket watches that range from a few hundred dollars to sky-high luxury prices.
