What is an antique underwater clock?

“Antique” generally refers to items that have been manufactured for more than 100 years.
Wristwatches began to be made gradually around 1910, so most of the watches that are classified as "antique" are pocket watches, excluding wall clocks and table clocks.

Cell phones and smartphones are enough to check the time, so fewer people these days even wear wristwatches.
The majority of smartwatches work with smartphones, even if you are wearing one.
There are very few people who wear mechanical watches that are powered by springs, and even pocket watches.

However, antique pocket watches, which seem like relics of the past, have a charm that modern wristwatches, smart watches, and smartphones lack.
In this article, I would like to share with you the charm of antique pocket watches.

No one is the same

One of the greatest charms of antique pocket watches is that no two are exactly alike.
Until the mid-19th century, most watches were not manufactured by the large watch manufacturers of today, but instead were handmade by a few craftsmen in small watch factories.
There is no model name or model number, and each part is milled, assembled, and adjusted one by one.

From the latter half of the 19th century onward, large-scale watch manufacturers emerged and were able to produce large quantities of similar watches, but they still did not require fully standardized and automated factories like today's industrial products. Unlike mass-produced items, you can feel the spirit of the craftsmen of the time.

Even if the watch was originally similar, the watch may have traces of small scratches and wear that have formed over the years of use, repair marks, replaced parts, and engravings left by previous owners. The history is engraved on it, and each piece has a different look.

beautiful decoration

I think there are many new watches and smart watches that have very beautiful decorations and beautiful designs.
However, since pocket watches are often larger than wristwatches, there are many parts that can be decorated, allowing you to enjoy the beautiful decorations on the case and dial more deeply.
The decorations themselves were hand-applied by craftsmen at the time, so each piece is unique.

Wristwatches are worn around your wrist with a belt, so you can usually only see the dial side, but pocket watches often have beautiful decorations on the back of the case because you can always see the back side of the case.
Pocket watches with a cover on the dial side, called a hunter case, may have beautiful decorations on both the front and back of the case.
Since the dial and hands are larger than a wristwatch, many have elaborate decorations.

Dials painted with enamel or engraved on metal, exquisite hands carved by hand by craftsmen one by one, elaborate indexes, etc. still delight us today.
These decorations are not just a watch as a tool, but are also attractive as crafts and works of art.

feel of touch

Most pocket watches are easy to hold and are small enough to fit comfortably in the palm of your hand.
The feel and weight of a pocket watch when you hold it in your hand is also a big attraction.
Each piece has its own unique shape, weight, and surface engravings, so you won't get tired of touching them all the time.
When the watch is running, you can even feel the slight vibration in your palm.

The feel will also change depending on the material of the case, such as gold, silver, nickel alloy, gunmetal, and other alloys. Gold and silver are metals with high thermal conductivity, so they don't feel cold and feel soft to the touch.
If it is an alloy case, it will feel solid and very solid to the touch.

If you have a watch with a gimmick that allows you to open the lid, like the Hunter Case pocket watch, you may end up opening and closing the lid without meaning to, and end up playing around with it without actually looking at the time.
This may be similar to opening a folded cell phone or opening the lid of a Zippo lighter.

Machine movements and sounds

The appeal of mechanical watches is that you can enjoy the movement and sound of the machine.
I think this is a charm that digital watches and smart watches definitely don't have.
Pocket watches often have larger mechanisms than wristwatches, so it is easier to see the movement of the mechanism and the sound is louder, making them even more appealing.

I never get tired of watching the balance wheel move in a certain rhythm and the other small gears moving in sequence. Seeing more complicated clocks like chronographs and repeaters in action is like a work of art, and you will be mesmerized by it.
In addition, many machines have beautiful decorations on their surfaces, which are invisible to the naked eye, and the beauty of the appearance is also pleasing to the eye.

Some people may find the sound to be noisy, but listening to the steady ticking of time can be very relaxing.
It feels like the heartbeat of the watch, and it feels like the watch is alive, which increases your attachment to it.

history and drama

Clocks in the antique era were much more expensive than they are today, and only those from the upper class or wealthy could afford to buy them.
Of course, there are still luxury watches, but there were no cheap, disposable watches like there are now.

It contains a lot of the thoughts of the craftsman who made the watch and the first owner who acquired it, and it has been passed down through the generations through multiple owners.
Each watch has a history and drama, and it's fun to think about it.

Some watches have the first owner's initials or family crest engraved on the lid or inside of the lid, or are engraved with information such as what kind of commemoration it was given to and by whom.
In addition, some watches are engraved with small, inconspicuous signatures by the watchmaker who originally made the watch or by the craftsman who repaired it along the way.

It is because these people have passed it down from generation to generation and used it with such love and care that this small precision machine is still working well even after more than 100 years.
When I think about this, I feel a strong desire to inherit the wishes of those people and cherish this watch from now on.

summary

I could list many others, but I have listed the most representative ones that I feel are appealing about antique pocket watches.

Pocket watches are full of charm, but perhaps because few people actually use them, many of them are surprisingly cheap compared to modern mechanical watches.
Of course, it requires more care than modern watches when it comes to usage and maintenance, but if you are interested, please pick it up and experience its charm.

Click here for antique clocks