At Luxury Bazaar, we regularly recommend using a trusted, well-established dealer when purchasing luxury watches secondhand. The world of vintage and antique watches in particular is a minefield of questionable pieces, and ebay isn’t generally the best place for a novice to purchase one. But, in fairness, ebay can also be a great place to find some rare and obscure gems. Maybe you wouldn’t expect to find a Patek Philippe pocket watch in immaculate condition, complete with sale papers from 1909, on ebay. But we did. So, we got to searching for other antique pocket watches, and found a few more unique pieces. Five of them are about 100 years old, with the sixth dating back to the 17th century. And they all still tick! Here are some of the most interesting antique pocket watches we found on ebay in 2022 and 2023.
Patek Philippe Pocket Watch, circa 1909
Before Patek Philippe created their first wristwatch in 1868, they had already established themselves as a world-class watchmaker. They had been making quality pocket watches for decades, and Queen Victoria famously bought a key-wound Patek Philippe pendant watch in 1851.
In addition to her pendant watch, Queen Victoria was known to wear a Patek pinned to her clothing by a diamond and enamel brooch. Patek Philippe still produces several pocket watches every year, not straying far from the design seen here.
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This beautifully simple piece is made of 18k rose gold, boasting no imperfections of any kind. The back has an engine-turned finish with a small monogram in the center, with a classic crown and gold seal on the stem. The clean open face looks quite large, and it is, measuring 56mm in diameter. It features iridescent blued steel hands and a sunken seconds subdial, with black and burgundy numerals, all allowing for a subdued contrast.
This pocket watch also comes with its original papers and box, which show the same pride and skill in their aesthetics as the watch itself. The box is cushioned with red velvet, and a ring of gold medals won by the watch masters at Patek Philippe frames the piece as it sits on its throne.
Barnet Henry Joseph & Co. Pocket Watch, circa 1896
This regal-looking pocket watch was specially made for King Ferdinand I of Bulgaria in 1896. This watch is one-of-a-kind, and a true piece of royal European history. It was made by prominent British jeweler Barnet Henry Joseph & Co. in the late 1800s, and features a triple calendar complication with moonphase.
The fine details include rubies set in gold chatons, gold weights, a solid gold train and a Breguet hairspring. It comes with its original box that was presented to King Ferdinand, adorned with his coast of arms in silver. The back displays a guilloche enameled monogram of King Ferdinand, with a gold crown.
Cartier Pocket Watch, circa 1890
When Patek Philippe made their first wristwatch in 1868, it was traditionally worn by women. It was Louis Cartier who started the trend for men’s wristwatches in 1904. Alberto Santos-Dumont, a famous early aviator, asked Cartier for a watch that could be used easily during flight; the result was the legendary Cartier Santos. In the late 1800s and early 1900s, Cartier was just as renowned for haute horology as they were for haute jewelry. Cartier remains one of the top makers of luxury wristwatches to this day, and although wristwatches get all the attention now, some lovely pocket watches can be found from their past.
This Cartier open-faced pocket watch comes in 18k white gold with blued Breguet hands, a silver dial, and 45mm diameter. Its case is extraordinarily thin, showcasing Louis Cartier’s mastery as a watchmaker.
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Girard-Perregaux Two-Sided Pocket Watch, circa 1888
One of the oldest watch companies, Girard-Perregaux‘s history dates all the way back to 1791 in Switzerland. The long legacy of this company has produced many innovations and rarities over the years, and this pocket watch is one of them. This rare piece is one of only seven known watches with this movement–four are privately owned and two are in the Girard-Perregaux Museum. King Faruk of Egypt used to own one.
This watch has an 18k gold case, with a big 54.5mm dial. It is quite thick (20mm) due to its two closable faces and its unique movement, allowing for a range of complications.
One side shows a cleaner face to display the hours, minutes and seconds. The other side is beautifully decorated and displays the days, months and moon phase (note the date is displayed in Spanish). On the time side, you’ll see the hands in gold to contrast the clean white face. On the date side, you’ll see blued hands to contrast the gold inlays and guilloche. Another nice touch is the guilloche decoration inside both sides of the hunter case. This pocket watch comes with its original box and parts, including an interchangeable black dial with a less-decorated date side.
Simon De Charmes/George Graham Quarter Repeater Pocket Watch, circa 1690
Simon De Charmes was a French refugee who came to settle in London in 1688. This was due to the overturning of the Edict of Nantes in 1685 by King Louis XIV of France. The Edict of Nantes was a law granting French Protestants the right to practice their religion without persecution from the state. When Louis XIV overturned it, many Protestants had to leave the Catholic country and became refugees. De Charmes found work as a free man at the London Clockmaker’s Company in 1691, which is when he made this piece.
So why does the name “Graham” reside on the dial? Well, our best guess is that George Graham was working as an apprentice to Simon De Charmes at the time. De Charmes achieved great wealth and success as a watchmaker, and he eventually opened his own shop. He was active from 1688-1730, with examples of his classic work usually only found in museums or private collections.
This one-of-a-kind pocket watch houses extremely old-fashioned clock technology with Egyptian pillars. It uses a Verge Fusee escapement, which is the oldest known type of mechanical escapement, dating back to the 14th century. The huge case shows off a pierced and engraved design in silver, with all its original parts. And most amazingly, this pocket watch is also a quarter repeater, with a gong chime on the bell inside. This puts this piece among the oldest known with a functional repeater and bell system.
Rolex Compteur Pocket Stopwatch, circa 1930’s
This Rolex is certainly no quarter repeater, but it’s still an interesting piece of watchmaking history. Although the price of a used Rolex Datejust can easily reach $7,000, that price can also get you surprisingly rare and exotic old references, like this rare antique Rolex Compteur. Unlike the other watches we’ve shown you, this one doesn’t tell the time–it’s a stopwatch.
Rolex collectors tend to focus on pieces from the 1950’s and newer, and many are likely unaware that the Compteur model ever existed. Interestingly, this watch was originally sold in Kenya, as we can tell by its double-signed Rolex dial stamped with “Dobbies Ltd. Nairobi” text.
We hope you enjoyed this showcase of exotic antique pocket watches! While fake and questionable Rolexes on ebay do exist, there are some jaw-dropping rarities to be found if you do some digging.
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