H-SPOT - Pocket Watches

Pocket Watches

A-Z A complete listing of all watches shown in alphabetical order.

Mechanical Watches powered by a traditional, mechanical movement.

Quartz Watches with battery-powered quartz movements.

Electric/Electronic Battery-powered watches with electro-mechanical, electric or electronic movements.

British Watches made in Great Britain.

Chinese Watches made in China.

Russian Watches made in the Soviet Union or modern-day Russia.

Japanese Watches made in Japan.

American Watches made in the USA or by/for American companies.

Military/Space Military and Space related watches including homage and commemorative pieces.

Pilot/Aviator Watches intended for pilots or with some aviation connection.

Sport/Diver Watches associated with a sport or a particular sporting event or personality.

Pocket Pocket watches.

Movements For those interested in what makes watches tick! A selection of watch movement pictures.

Links A selection of links to the interesting websites of other collectors.

6E/50 Observer's/Navigator's watch:
6E/50 is not a manufacturer but a military code assigned by the British Air Ministry during World War 2 to a type of pocket watch issued to observers and navigators in the Royal Air Force. These watches are very similar to the GSTP watches issued to the British Army (see examples below) except that they lack luminescent paint on their dials and hands. Accounts suggest that such watches were more practical than wristwatches as they could be laid on the maps and charts from which the airmen were working and be more easily read at a glance. Movement.

CWC Pocket Watch:
Official issue pocket watch with Swiss, mechanical 17 jewel movement, chromed brass case and classic military type dial.

Elgin GS MkII:
GS MkII refers to a type of military watch issued to the British Army from around the mid-1930's until the early years of the Second World War. This example is circa 1941 and was imported from the American, Elgin Watch Company. It has a fancy, hinged case featuring a protective cover for the 7 jewel movement. This example also appears to have its original crystal which exhibits severe burns over the numerals from the Radium-based luminescent paint.

GSTP:
GSTP is not a manufacturer, but rather a type of British military watch issued during the Second World War as "General Service Time Pieces" (although GSTP might also stand for "General Service Temporary Pattern"). They were purchased by the War Department from very many different sources and not all bear manufacturer markings, hence I decided to show my GSTP's all together. All these watches are Swiss made, have 15 jewel movements and black or white dials with Radium luminescent paint applied to the dials and hands. Most have snap-backs although some have screw-backs. The casebacks bear GSTP and broad arrow markings plus a code number. Movement.

GSTP:
This GSTP clearly shows radiation burn marks from the Radium luminescent paint around the 12, 3, 6 and 9 O'Clock positions...

Movement.

GSTP:
...and this one shows similar burns to the dial where the hands have remained stationary for a long period of time.

Movement.

GSTP - CYMA:
A CYMA branded GSTP...

Movement.

GSTP - Helvetia:
...and one from the Helvetia stable.

Movement.

Molnija 1980 Moscow Olympics Pocket Watch:
The Molnija clock and watch factory is located in Chelyabinsk in Russia. During the Second World War, the city was apparently dubbed "Tankograd" due to the large number of military factories in the area. This pocket watch commemorates the 1980 Olympic Games which were held in Moscow. These games were infamous for the large number of countries which boycotted the event following the Soviet Union's involvement in Afghanistan. Among various Olympic-themed decorations to the watch case and dial is a motif of a boxer. I wonder if this depicts Shamil Sabirov, who won the Soviet Union's only boxing Gold medal at these games.

Rotary Pocket Watch:
A relatively modern Rotary Pocket Watch with ETA stamped Unitas 6498 17 jewel movement. I find it sometimes makes a nice change to carry a pocket watch instead of wearing a wristwatch.

Smiths Empire:
This is my first and, at the time of writing, only pocket watch. I know very little about it apart from the fact that it's gorgeous! :-) It was made in Great Britain probably in the 1950's I would think and, thanks to the accompanying Smiths plastic stand, it also doubles as a neat little mantle or desk clock! And as Rachel Cooper (Lillian Gish) once proclaimed in The Night of the Hunter: "That watch sure is a fine, loud ticker."

Zenith HS3:
The Royal Navy's Hydrographic Department was supplied with Zenith deck watches during World War 2. After the end of the war the watches were returned to the Admiralty at Herstmonceux Castle where they were redialled (like this example) and eventually re-issued. The original "H.S. 3" markings on the casebacks were struck out and replaced with NATO style markings. The issue number of these watches corresponds to the last four digits of the movement serial number. The dial on this watch relegates simple time-telling functions to a small central scale, whilst seconds/minutes are read via the middle scale emphasised in red. The outer scale denotes 10ths/100ths of a minute. The high quality movement is apparently based on that used in watches issued to the Royal Flying Corps during the First World War.