During the 16th century the first watch was made. Once they were 1st invented they were in the shapes of spheres and cylinders. They were originally very big and were not worn on the wrist or in the pocket, but around the neck. Approximately hundred years later it became fashionable to where them in a pocket.

Pocket watches became popular with the rise of the railroad, during the latter part of the nineteenth century. Pocket watches became a requirement for workers on the railroad because there had been therefore many train wrecks plus accidents because of not timing the trains accurately.

The American Railway Association outlined the essential standards for watches in 1887. The standards failed to become mandatory until the famous Lake Shore plus Michigan Southern Railway train wreck on April nineteen, 1891. This train wreck occurred as 1 of the engineers’ watches had stopped for four minutes. This led to the implementation of the standards to determine precision ad reliable timepieces.

To the present day, railroad staff are required to keep their watches on perfect time, and have to go through random spot checks by the railroad. If an employee’s watch is just not on time, this will lead to serious disciplinary action, because there is such a high chance for catastrophe.

There are two main pocket watch designs, they are the hunger-case and the open-face pocket watch.
The open-face pocket watch has a winding-stem at the top of the dial. These watches have cases which that shelter the crystal from being damaged. All of the railroad chronometers had to use this type of watch. A hunter-case pocket watch encompasses a spring-hinged circular metal lid of coverwhich closes over the watch.

Pocket watches have lost their popularity these days; they even have been replaced by the wristwatch. Right up until the turn of the century though they were predominate as wristwatches were considered feminine and unmanly.

Antique pocket watches are still a favourite among collectors plus a top quality antique pocket watch can be value a ton of cash at an auction.