Home Forums Hunting & Shooting Hunter's Campfire Grandfather's 77 year old pocket watch

Of course I don't know about the general public, but the Southern Pacific required their employees to have a watch of the railroad's specifications as a condition of employment. There also were requirements that the watch would be regularly maintained, cleaning, oiling and adjusting, by a qualified watchmaker at specified intervals. If Fat City will examine the inside of the back screw cover, he will see the watchmaker's tiny inscriptions, usually initials, date and maybe a symbol for work done, like clean, oil, adjust etc.
My Dad's Hamilton railway special was purchased by him, in 1941, from a jeweler in Dunsmuir CA. He was not an SP employee, but a contractor who coordinated livestock shipments from the Mountain Division to slaughterhouses in the Sacramento Valley during the war. The volume of freight during the war was stunning, and the railroad had priorities, generally expressed as "bullets then beef then brawn" or ammo trains, perishable food trains, then passenger trains. Imagine a people, a country, as it was then, united totally against a common enemy, compared to now.

We got my great grandfathers pocket watch appraised this year. It was handed down, and since I am not a pocket watch guy it sat in the safe. Finally took it to a jeweler who specializes in pocket watches etc. It was a solid gold watch. Don’t ask me the manufacturer because I don’t remember off the top of my head. But it did appraise at 17k which I thought was crazy.

Neat, I wish that I knew what happened to grandpa’s railroad watch? Grandpa Bill worked for the North Western Railroad from 1887-1939 and drove the Leona Way Freight locomotive the last 25 years and probably hauled out lots of the big white pine during the logging area. They didn’t have good communication back in those days, so everything had to be by the book and on time or there was another train on your same track. Your pocket watch had better be synchronized with everyone else’s because your life and the lives of your train crew depended on it. I wish that I’d have been able to talk to that guy because I’ll bet he had some stories.

Now isnt this much better than a bunch of Political Crap 24/7.

Great Info folks thanks for contributing.

As flintlocke stated above this is a Rail Company approved and regularly certified time keeping device.

As I pointed out in the opening post there are certification inspection engravings on the inside of the back cover. Six specifically that I found. Its my understanding that engraved inscription codes were only made if the watch had any significant adjustments and or repair so other watchmakers had a permanent history.

Great thread Fats, but if I may wander off topic for a minute...are there any daily pocketwatch carriers out there? I bought 4 Westclox 'Scotty's" when the local hardware went belly up a few years back and the last one is showing signs of heart arrhithmya. Been prowling ebay but that's a crap shoot. Perfect world for me, small stem winder, a second hand, see in the dark hands, and more important than anything..a face flip open cover. Any suggestions? I'm probably the last old fool in the world that packs a pocket watch.

Fats,

love the thread and the subject thereof. Thanks for sharing some of your family's history. Hope that gets passed down to future members of your lineage.

flintlocke, I carried a pocketwatch for years, starting way back around high school or so. Would always forget to take off wrist watch at bedtime and was constantly smashing crystals on bedposts or walls. I think I might even still have the first one I got..................from Monkey Ward's no less! No longer functional as I recall. Have had wristwatches I carried in pockets also.

Haven't worn or carried a watch for years now. Used to rely on the clock on the dashboard or wherever there was one handy. Sometimes pissed people off asking, was told many times to "Buy a watch azzhat".

Now that I'm retired I would have no use except the rest of the world seems to think knowing the exact time is something important.

Time is a human construct and as such is not perfect and I have little need for it most days. Sleep when tired, wake when I need to, eat when hungry.

I do need to know the time for programming the DVR for HOCKEY games though

Max cool points.

Great photos of a beautiful momento. I would love to have something like that.

I carried a pocket watch for about 5 years, when I was in high school. I just had a cheapo but I always liked 'em.

"My Grandfather's Clock" by Johnny Cash

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=K0o8A4RccUY

My wife hauled home a bunch of my Father in Law's stuff after he passed away. He was a POW from the Polish military during WW2. I have no idea how he came by it. But I found one of these in a box of his belongings. It still keeps perfect time.

https://www.hushhush.com/watches/iw...bachtungsuhr-der-deutschen-kriegsmarine/

Thanks gents.

Great seeing all the wonderful watches and family mementos.

Geno its all a part of a cache I'm putting together for my daughters.

Working hard not to forget the Faces of my Fathers.

I have dads elgin, brother tells me he paid 3 bucks in a oawn shop, a 24 hour military with radium dial(i dropped it and it is broken shaft) and a ESI from Target with 17 jewel Swiss movement not the quartz things sold now.

I have dads elgin, brother tells me he paid 3 bucks in a oawn shop in about 41, a 24 hour military with radium dial(i dropped it and it is broken shaft) and a ESI from Target with 17 jewel Swiss movement not the quartz things sold now.

While it wasn't given to any family member, this watch has been in the family for many decades. Story goes a family member bought it from a store and that it was from a retired railroad executive. The movements are Elgin, I don't remember how many jewels, and the case is 18k. The face of the watch is porcelain with gold and jewels on it. It measures about 2 1/4" in diameter and about 5/8" thick and dates to 1873 and there is no name engraved in it that I can see. Neat old piece of history that I get to hold onto for a while.

Nope flintlocke, not the only one. L carry one my wife bought me several years ago. I don't know who actually makes them, but it is branded Montana Silversmiths.

Very nice folks.

My grandfather gave me his Elgin watch in ‘70. I researched it a few years ago and it was made in 1920. It’s always kept good time. I believe it’s a “railroad “ watch IIRC. It also has the little lever that pulls out to set it.

I also have his S&W 32/20 made about the same time according to Roy Jinks of S&W. He had become a fairly prominent attorney with some extra money for the watch and handgun for protection.

Dean A. That is a beautiful face on that watch. I noticed how intricate the minute and hour hands are. It almost looks like there are four tiny sapphires around the outer edge too.

Thanks, very nice.

I carried a pocket watch for many years. I work in a food manufacturing facility where wrist watches are forbidden. So, I used a pocket watch until cell phones came along and gave me a clock in my pocket.

I never paid more than $100 for any of mine, so they were not a fine piece by any means.

Now that the company has banned cell phones on the floor, I need to start shopping for a pocket watch again.