In this technological age, many people, especially the younger generation, would not see the need or appreciate the qualities of a chain pocket watch.

Pocket watches are seen as old fashioned. The ability to tell the time comes to people from all sorts of sources. Wristwatches are now the norm and yet even they seem to be dated, as a lot of people in this day and age don’t even wear watches any more. They simply use their mobile phones or personal digital assistants to tell the time. Yes, our ability to tell the time is taken for granted now.

That hasn’t always been the case. The history of pocket watches extends back to the 16th century, when craftsmen were first able to create portable clocks small enough to hang around the neck or fit inside a pocket. It was at this time when watches emerged as highly desirable commodities.

Imagine the skill needed to hand-produce things as intricate and complex as pocket watches, without modern tools and factories. A watchman would spend months creating a pocket watch. Watch making back then was one of the most difficult, but most respected professions. This craftsmanship didn’t come cheap, as each piece was very expensive.

To emphasise the work behind every piece, a pocket watch was usually encased in gold, adding even more value to the masterpiece. It goes without saying that only the rich were able to afford a pocket watch.

But why did they create a pocket watch, you might ask? Why the chain? Surely a wristwatch would have been more practical?

There are two simple reasons for this:

Firstly watches back in the 16th century were specially made with the rich people in mind. That was their market as they were the only ones who could afford to the instruments and pay for the clockmakers skills.

Secondly, rich gentlemen in Europe, where the pocket watch originated from, would never expose their arms in public. They believed that they had to distance themselves from the masses and dress in a way that displayed their wealth. Only labourers exposed their arms, as they had to do the menial jobs. It would have been unthinkable for a person of wealth and position to expose their arm to view the time.

That is why the value of a chain pocket watch has endured, and flourished, throughout the years. It still carries with it the elegance of the upper class and there are many who appreciate its rich history and own some beautiful collections.

Some collector’s pieces sell for thousands of dollars. Perhaps the next time you see such a pocket watch being sold on eBay you will understand why it attracts such a high price. Pocket chain watches are beautiful, classic instruments that tell us the time in a far more elegant way than a cell phone.

Neil Day is a successful Webmaster and publisher of Antique & Modern Pocket Watches.

He provides more free information on gold pocket watches, musical pocket watches, pocket railroad watches and pocket watch repair and more that you can research on his website.

Article Source: http://EzineArticles.com/?expert=Neil_Day

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Early people have devised a system to tell the exact date. But a device that exactly tells the precise time comes much later. Water clocks, sundials, and candle clocks are the earliest instruments that somehow manage to tell time but accuracy is far from achievable.

In the 13th century, weight-driven clocks were developed. It used gears while hour hand was already used while the minute hand was an indication of luxury and wealth. The weight-driven clocks were publicly displayed on church towers, city halls, and monasteries.

In the 16th century, clocks were produced using spring instead of weight. The portable clocks or the pocket watches were the first timepieces that the public can own. During this time, the only persons who can own them were the rich and owning one signified the status, authority, and wealth of the person. Often, portable watches were placed on the wall of the house. The term portable though did not mean it could be carried on your pocket. The term changed its meaning some years later.

The first transportable watches or pocket watches was used also in the 16th century. This time, clocks no longer had to stay at one place. Pocket watches can already be worn around the neck or carried on a pocket. The same era also brought revolution to the development of pocket watches. Mechanisms were introduced to bring time-telling precision. Some packet watches even had an alarm.

The entry of the 17th century made pocket watched even more desirable. The box-like image was removed and was replaced by more rounded and slimmer cases. Clockmakers also became instant artists as they infuse designs and craftsmanship to every pocket watch the made.

When Christian Huygens discovered the law of pendulum, which for your information was different from Galileos, clock had yet again moved one step further. The law proved to be very helpful in the development of pocket watches.

In the 18th century, pocket watches continued to evolve. This time, jewels were used as bearings. Diamonds became part of some pocket watches that boosted the price of a single pocket watch to the ceiling. Oil was also became part of pocket watches during this period. This was to lubricate and smoothen the movement of the watchs hands. In the second half of the 18th century, pocket watches were produced with three hands. Contrary to the inclusion of the minute hand during the 16th century, second hand made sense since accuracy in telling time was far better.

In the 19th century came the glory days of the packet watches. This era brought the several watchmakers into the picture. Names such as LeCoultre & Cie, Ulysse Nardin, Minerva, Heuer, IWC, and many others were established in this period. The quality of pocket watches became better than ever.

By the turn of the 20th century, certificates were issued to those watchmakers that created precise watches. Unlike the previous years, issuance of certificate became more of a requirement than luxury.

And as the years gone by, the popularity of pocket watches diminished as wristwatches became more popular.

Although pocket watches are not so much used today, it has served as one of the important instruments for several centuries.

About the Author:

Robert Thatcher is a freelance publisher based in Cupertino, California. He publishes articles and reports in various ezines and provides pocket watch resources on www.about-pocket-watches.info.

Article: Courtesty of http://ClockTips.com

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The American Railroad was the second most influential contribution to the advancement of our early nation. Our county’s founding papers were first. The Railroad linked the industrialized east with the growing west. The keeping of time went hand and glove with the railroad. For safety reasons it was vital to know when a heavy loaded and fast moving train was to be on a certain stretch of track. The American Waltham pocket watch and the telegraph working together brought the standard of time, that made rail transportation safer and dependable. Soon as American watch factories perfected their manufacturing and marketing process, these prized mechanical wonders were attainable to the commoner and railroad man alike. While their protective gold cases were beautiful works of art, gold was soft and expensive. Coin silver though beautiful and more affordable than gold, was also sometimes too soft for the rugged demands placed on a pocket watch case. An alloy was developed specifically to meet the needs of the American pocket watch case that answer the question of durably and affordability. This combination of 45% nickel, 54% copper and 1% manganese was called silveroid, silverore, silverode or silverine. It was easy to polish, very hard and looked just like coin silver. The early American pocket watch is prized for it’s beauty and function. These watches bring very high prices today, and an American pocket watch in great condition with a coin silver case is considered rare and collectable. During lean economic times, silver was substituted for the very affordable silveroid, yet rightfully, the remaining silver cased American pocket watches will always hold their collectability and high value. – from an article by T. Nelson, Antique Watch Repair Service

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About the Author

Terry Nelson’s specialty is the restoration of mechanical timepieces. “I’ve restored and sold thousands of high quality timepieces for nearly 20 years and now make my services available to the world through the internet.