A Brief Guide to Modern Pocket Watches

Have you considered the humble pocket watch lately? You may be raising a quizzical eyebrow — and we get it.

But surely there’s something to be said for this seemingly antiquated timekeeper. For several centuries, after all, this was the gentleman’s watch — indeed, as late as the inter-War years, many men still preferred one to a wristwatch. With its large dial and heft, it was easy to read, simple to use and highly elegant. And from a horological standpoint, well — one need only pop open the dust cover on a well-made pocket watch to appreciate the intricacy of a hand-wound, highly decorated movement in all its glory. This is much harder to do on a tiny wristwatch movement.

And no — we’re not advocating for the abandonment of the wristwatch, and we don’t think the pocket watch is going to come roaring back into the zeitgeist with the power of 1,000 watch movement barrels. (Though we should say that if you’re the one guy at the formal event with a pocket watch rather than a wristwatch, you’re almost guaranteed a few interesting conversations.)

But maybe, just maybe, pocket watches should be given some extra consideration. If not for their practicality — they’re not nearly as practical as wristwatches, after all — then for their beauty, their charm and their historical importance. And while we could wax poetic about vintage pocket watches all day long, why not examine some of the few modern ones available on the market today? Who knows: Maybe after a deep dive down the ol’ YouTube rabbit hole, you’ll find yourself with a new horological companion, or, at the very least, a newfound appreciation for this once-commonplace, pocket-borne timekeeping tradition.

Mondaine Pocket Watch 43mm

One can always count on Mondaine for a pure distillation of Helvetian design. Case in point: This 43mm open-face pocket watch. It may be quartz-powered, but for roughly $300, you’re getting a portable reproduction of one of Switzerland’s most famous pieces of industrial design — namely, the railway clocks that adorn each of the country’s famously punctual train stations. The thick black stick indices and matching handset positively pop against the pure white dial, while a red central seconds hand with “lollipop” tip allows you to track time down to the most precise interval. Housed in a stainless steel case and finished with a hardened mineral crystal and a steel chain, it’s the perfect entry point into pocket watches for the budget-conscious buyer.

Diameter: 43mm

Movement: Quartz

Water Resistance: Dust-resistant

Tissot Savonnette Mechanical Pocket Watch

Tissot’s Savonnette Mechanical harkens back to the simple, elegant pocket watches of the savonnette style — that is, a pocket watch with a case cover that hinges shut to protect the dial, making it look like a round cake of soap, or a savonnette. This version, measuring 48.5mm in stainless steel, features a case handsomely decorated with the Tissot family coat of arms in a flower and feather motif. With a single push of the crown, this outer case opens to reveal a white dial with elegant Roman indices, a Breguet handset and a large sub-seconds dial above 6 o’clock; a second crown push pops open the caseback, which can be engraved with a personalized message. Hand-wound and shipping with a matching chain, the Savonnette Mechanical is a great buy at under $1,000.

Diameter: 48.5mm

Movement: Tissot caliber 16 1/2”’ hand-wound

Water Resistance: N/A

Hamilton American Classic Railroad Pocket Watch Limited Edition

America was built upon the strength of its railroad system — one whose efficiency was governed in no small part by conductors wielding that most humble of timekeepers, the hand-wound pocket watch. The American Classic Railroad Pocket Watch Limited Edition from Hamilton pays homage to such pieces, many of which were indeed manufactured by Hamilton. With a 50mm stainless steel case, its bright white dial is the picture of legibility, with black Arabic indices, a black spade handset, and a large sub-seconds display keeping things clean and easily scannable. Meanwhile, an outer track is calibrated to the individual minute, with 10-minute demarcations in red for easy reference. Kitted out with both a stand and a leather case, it’s powered by a hand-wound movement with 50 hours of power reserve.

Diameter: 50mm

Movement: Hand-wound

Water Resistance: 50m

Shinola The Elijah McCoy Mechanic Pocket Watch 45mm

Named after Canadian-American inventor Elijah McCoy — inventor of lubrication systems for steam locomotives — the Shinola Elijah McCoy honors an important Black inventor whose works once featured in most American railroads. Finished in matte black steel, its cool, distinctly modern color is further accentuated by a soft rhombus shape that contains a more conventional round dial. Featuring a railroad minute track, luminous Arabic indices, sword hands and a red seconds hand, the Elijah McCoy references classic railroad watches while incorporating touches that place it firmly in a 21st-century context. Accompanied by a black stainless steel DLC chain and powered by the Swiss-made Sellita SW210-1 hand-wound movement, it ships with a handsome wooden stand signed “The Real McCoy.”

Diameter: 45mm

Movement: Sellita SW210-1 hand-wound

Water Resistance: 50m

Patek Philippe Open-Face Pocket Watch ref. 973J

The open-faced 973J takes inspiration from many of the classic pocket watch references throughout Patek’s long and storied history, providing an excellent, oversized canvas upon which the maison’s watchmakers can show off their skill. Featuring a dial with applied, yellow gold Breguet numerals and matching Breguet hands, it recalls some of the most beautiful designs of the 19th century, incorporating a highly decorated, hand-wound Patek Philippe 17’’’ LEP PS movement with 137 parts and a 50-hour power reserve. Being an open-faced design, it has no front case cover, meaning its lacquered white dial with sub-seconds above 6 o’clock can always be easily admired. Measuring 44mm, it’s a perfect pairing for more formal occasions.

Diameter: 44mm

Movement: Patek Philippe 17’’’ LEP PS hand-wound

Water Resistance: Dust and humidity resistant only

Hublot X Daniel Arsham Droplet

Avant-garde Swiss watchmaker Hublot teamed up with highly lauded American contemporary artist Daniel Arsham on a unique, highly modern pocket watch that can be used in multiple configurations — including as a table clock paired with a titanium and mineral glass stand. Designed to fit ergonomically within the contours of one’s hand, the titanium and rubber case houses a 10-day movement, meaning that hand winding need only take place infrequently. Built using “sandwich” construction, the Droplet is open-worked, revealing a lace-like pattern within; despite this unconventional design, however, it’s fitted with 17 o-rings to ensure water resistance to 30m. By using the watch’s “one-click” strap-changing system, the Droplet can easily change from pocket watch to pendant watch in an instant.

Diameter: 52.6 mm

Movement: HUB1201 Manufacture MECA-10 hand-wound

Water Resistance: 30m

Cartier Mysterious Double Tourbillon Pocket Watch

Mixing the elegance of historical Cartier designs with a forward-thinking aesthetic that blends multiple beautiful materials, the Mysterious Double Tourbillon Pocket Watch is certainly one of the most elegant modern pocket watches on the market. Housed in a 55mm white gold case with the maison’s signature cabochon-cut sapphire crown situated at 12 o’clock, it features a bezel and dial in a handsome guilloché pattern. The translucent black enamel dial, overlaid with rhodium-plated hands, is complemented by stylized Roman numeral indices — the pièce de résistance, meanwhile, is a “mysterious” double tourbillon complication at 3 o’clock in which much of the complication’s mechanics are hidden. Powered by a hand-wound movement with a power reserve of 52 hours, it ships with a rock crystal, black jade and white gold stand.

Vacheron Constantin Les Cabinotiers Berkley Grand Complication

Unfortunately, you can’t purchase this unique piece for yourself — but you should be aware of it. What you’re looking at is the world’s most complicated watch, with a whopping 63 complications and 2,877 components. The result of 11 years of research and development, it’s a commission from a single collector (the “Berkley” whose name the watch takes) who was willing to pay a small fortune to compete with the likes of James Ward Packard and Henry Graves Jr. The grapefruit-sized Grand Complication features a Chinese calendar, a Chinese New Year indicator, a Chinese Zodiac sign indicator, numerous astrological complications, a Gregorian perpetual calendar, a Grande Sonnerie, various alarms and much more. Measuring 90.8mm in diameter by 50.55mm thick in white gold, it weighs nearly 1kg and — it should be clear — is virtually priceless. Functionally a small mechanical computer, this is the type of timepiece that keeps us coming back to mechanical watchmaking — even if most of us will never own such a watch.

Diameter: 90.8mm

Movement: Vacheron Constantin Caliber 3752 hand-wound

Water Resistance: Really?