Will Pocket Watches Make a Comeback?

During Hodinkee’s 10 anniversary celebration, H10, there was a panel titled “The Italian Influence” with John Goldberger and Davide Parmegiani. These two watch experts discussed how Italy is like Mecca when it comes to the birth of watch collecting. Towards the end of the panel, John Goldberger nonchalantly pulled out a minute repeating pocket watch to show the audience what he considers value in vintage watches. Parmegiani chimed in adding he had many and people should really consider buying more pocket watches.

This occurrence begs the question - should we be more interested in collecting pocket watches? Will pocket watches have a resurgence due to the appeal of pocket watches?

There are three ways that appeal will be categorized - horological appeal, aesthetic appeal and functionality.

Horologically speaking, if a wrist watch can do something, so too can a pocket watches. Pocket watches have extremely incredible complications and have solved many engineering issues when it comes to horology. From minute repeaters to tourbillons, there is a pocket watch out there that has it. There is no question that pocket watches will have this appeal to collectors.

Similarly, pocket watches are aesthetically beautiful. Not just the dials that can have incredibly beautiful patina or even made of porcelain, many pocket watches have art work on the casebacks of them. For example, there are many Patek Philippe pocket watches with enamel finishing on them. One could argue that they present even more beauty than some wrist watches can.

Unfortunately, functionally, wrist watches take the cake. Pocket watches are not as easily worn or stored on ones person as wrist watches. The average individual keeps their phone in one pocket and a wallet in the other leaving little room for a pocket watch. Time can be told on their phones, a pocket watch is really not needed.

This negative functionality vote really means the resurgence of pocket watches will most likely not happen. But, I think in small pockets of the watch collecting world it may - those who value things besides functionality and just love it because of the beauty and ingenuity that pocket watches present.

Enjoy!