Pocket Watches
1920s Swiss Vintage Pocket Watches
Gold
1910s Swiss Edwardian Vintage Pocket Watches
Gold
1960s Swiss Vintage Pocket Watches
Gold
1850s Swiss Antique Pocket Watches
Silver
19th Century Swiss Antique Pocket Watches
Gold, Enamel
19th Century Swiss Antique Pocket Watches
Gold, Enamel
1920s French Art Deco Vintage Pocket Watches
18k Gold, Yellow Gold
19th Century British Victorian Antique Pocket Watches
Sterling Silver
Mid-19th Century Belle Époque Antique Pocket Watches
Diamond, Natural Pearl, Platinum
20th Century Swiss Pocket Watches
Gold, 14k Gold, Yellow Gold
Mid-20th Century Swiss Pocket Watches
Diamond, 14k Gold, White Gold
1950s American Vintage Pocket Watches
Platinum
Early 1900s Swiss Antique Pocket Watches
1830s Swiss Art Deco Antique Pocket Watches
20th Century Pocket Watches
18k Gold, White Gold, Silver
Early 1900s Antique Pocket Watches
1910s French Belle Époque Vintage Pocket Watches
1880s British Victorian Antique Pocket Watches
18k Gold, Enamel
Late 20th Century Unknown Pocket Watches
Early 1900s Antique Pocket Watches
14k Gold
Early 19th Century French Antique Pocket Watches
Early 20th Century Unknown Edwardian Pocket Watches
Stainless Steel
1920s Swiss Vintage Pocket Watches
White Gold
20th Century Swiss Pocket Watches
Diamond, 18k Gold
1930s French Art Deco Vintage Pocket Watches
Turquoise, 14k Gold
Antique and Vintage Pocket Watches for Sale on 1stDibs
Can you pull off a vintage pocket watch? Of course you can. With a suit and a waistcoat, a pocket watch can be a refreshing alternative to a wristwatch.
The earliest pocket watches were luxury items, and, owing to cost, they weren’t commonplace until the 19th century. Artfully crafted pocket watches were a symbol of wealth, and manufacturers such as Vacheron Constantin and Patek Philippe became known for theirs. (Today, they’re among the most sought after by collectors and enthusiasts.)
At the onset, pocket watches resembled small round table clocks, and pulling your small round table clock — perhaps of the silver variety — out of your breast pocket in front of someone else demonstrated unequivocally that you cared about punctuality. For collectors, pocket watches are big, and that means a larger canvas provided for functions without crowding the dial. For example, the Marius Lecoultre pocket watch — made circa 1890 — does everything but uncork your wine.
In the late 1800s, the open-face pocket watch became a staple on the American railroad. It was a requirement for railway workers to wear a pocket watch, as the timepieces were responsible for keeping conductors on schedule. This was a boon to the watchmaking industry, with companies like Hamilton, the Elgin National Watch Company and the Waltham Watch Company producing high-grade and workingman’s watches.
By the 1930s, wristwatches comprised the bulk of watch manufacturing in America, superseding the pocket watch. Suddenly, if you wanted to know the time, you merely glanced at your wrist. But given their vintage charm and our general appetite for good design, pocket watches are a piece of statement-making jewelry and today can prove complementary to your formal attire in a manner that is stylish and unconventional.
Let time take its course — browse a vast selection of antique and vintage pocket watches available on 1stDibs designed by legendary brands such as IWC, Cartier and more.