How pocket watches got cool again, from ‘watchtok’ to Peaky Blinders – first invented in 1510 and treasured by James Dean, pocket-sized timepieces on a chain (still) make great conversation starters
- The Horological Society of New York staged an exhibition of pocket watches this summer, while a vintage piece by British watchmaker Roger W. Smith recently sold for a cool US$4.9 million
- When everyone has a smartphone anyway, a watch primarily serves as a marker of style – and from vintage gangster movies to the #pocketwatch TikTok trend, nothing quite says suave like a dial on a chain
Earlier this year the Horological Society of New York staged “Pocket Genius”, an exhibition spotlighting over 50 pocket watches. The pieces on display spanned from the 1690s – when they were mounted on a chain or leather fob and worn inside a waistcoat pocket – to contemporary classics of the 1990s.
In June this year, a pocket watch handmade by British watchmaker Roger W. Smith, a man of such stature in horological circles he’s known to leave enthusiasts starstuck, sold at auction by Phillips for a cool US$4.9 million.
Some of the videos are posted by vintage watch enthusiasts, others Peaky Blinders enthusiasts (and the occasional amateur hypnotist). The point being, a style of watch first invented in 1510 by German locksmith Peter Henlein, and which was seen as an elaborate status symbol in the 18th and 19th centuries, doesn’t seem out of place in 2023.
Perhaps it’s because one of the key trends this year was the necklace watch, with the likes of Piaget, Jaeger-LeCoultre, Van Cleef & Arpels and Chanel all putting out dazzling options. Or the seemingly never-ending nostalgia for bygone days.
