6 of the best pocket watches you can buy today
Zach BlassWatch enthusiasts largely focus their attention towards wristwatches, but the most common timekeeper used today remains the pocket watch. Well… if you include smartphones, that is. Jokes aside, pocket watches, while irrefutably impractical compared to a wristwatch and redundant with smartphones already in our pockets, can be an enjoyable rabbit hole to go down. Whether prepping for Peaky Blinders cosplay, or a desire to bring back the OG form of portable timekeeping, here are five of the best modern pocket watches you can buy today.
Bulova Sutton
On the more affordable end, the Bulova Sutton in its gold-tone configuration offers a classic look with its yellow gold case, chain, and dial, but offers a sense of modernism with its bold applied numerals and the openworked nature of the dial. The Sutton is packaged in a 50mm treated stainless steel case with 30 metres of water-resistance, and is driven by an automatic movement. Price: US$450 (on sale from US$750)
Tissot Savonnette Mechanical
Just a step up in price, and with a look that is 100% classic, the Tissot Savonnette Mechanical could feasibly be mistaken as a vintage pocket watch. The entry-level Swiss brand is most likely your best bet if you’re looking for a no-nonsense, modern pocket watch from a respected manufacturer, with numerous references in production at any one stage. With its porcelain-like white dial, Breguet-style hands and numerals, and railroad-bordered sub-seconds, the Savonnette Mechanical strikes all the right notes if you want a pocket watch with a vintage feel and the security of a modern build. The 49.4mm case is stainless steel, along with the included chain, and is driven by a 46-hour hand-wound movement. Price: US$975
Christopher Ward x Studio Underd0g The Alliance 02
British watchmaking has become increasingly exciting with its irrefutable resurgence in recent years. One such example is Christopher Ward & Studio Underdog team-up in December, uniting to create one of the most unusual and unexpected releases of the year: a collaboration pocket watch. Limited to 100 pieces, The Alliance 02 utilises a design based on Christopher Ward’s Light-catcher case that is injected with Studio Underd0g’s signature playfulness via its pairing with a luminous 02SERIES-style dial. Inside, you haveChristopher Ward’s in-house CW-001 hand-wound calibre, which offers a 120-hour power reserve. Impressive. Price: £2,995
Citizen 100th Anniversary Limited Edition Pocket Watch (ref. NC2990-94A)
For Citizen’s 100th anniversary, the manufacture has unveiled a revival of its first-ever timepiece – a pocket watch from 1924. While not a one-to-one reproduction, the Citizen 100th Anniversary Limited Edition Pocket Watch ref. NC2990-94A, in my opinion, improves upon the original with its snow-textured dial (watch out GS Snowflake) and switch to Breguet-styled and blued hands. Interestingly, Citizen’s pocket watch has also been modernised with a 43.5mm titanium case – so it will feel featherlight in your pocket while being highly robust. Exhibited on the reverse side is Citizen’s in-house calibre 0270, a hand-wound movement with 55 hours of power reserve and an accuracy rated within -3/+5 seconds per day. The calibre is also finely decorated with striping and chamfers, and uses a free-sprung balance. Price: US$10,000
Hublot Arsham Droplet
Hublot dispelled the notion that pocket watches have to look dated with the help of artist and brand ambassador Daniel Arsham, recently introducing the new Droplet. The Droplet, fabricated in sapphire, titanium, and rubber, is a pocket watch that can be worn or displayed in three different ways, either as a traditional pocket watch, a pendant, or a table clock. It is driven by the manufacture’s in-house HUB1201 Meca-10 calibre – a hand-wound movement with an astounding 10 days of power reserve. Price: US$92,000
Richard Mille RM 020
Continuing the non-traditional pocket watch wave, Richard Mille, every now and again, throws its hat into the pocket watch ring. The RM 020 was very notable due to being the first pocket watch ever created to utilise a movement with a carbon nanofibre baseplate. Fun fact: this carbon nanofibre material was originally used in United States Air Force jets. The case is made of titanium and comes with a case-matching chain. Inside, twin barrels afford the in-house tourbillon calibre 10 days of power reserve. Price: approximately US$500,000 – US$600,000 on the secondary market
Breguet Marie-Antoinette N°1160
When I visited the Breguet manufacture, the most fascinating room I visited was probably its restoration workshop. Here, not only do master watchmakers restore coveted vintage timepieces, they also work on lesser-known masterpiece models that are sold as commissions. One such pocket watch is the Breguet Marie Antoinette N°1160, based on the famed No. 160 famously commissioned by the French queen in 1783, and designed based on pictures and descriptions of the original which incredibly boasted practically every known complication of the era in one pocket watch.
The first Breguet Marie Antoinette N°1160 was commissioned in 2005 and took three years to complete in contrast to the original which allegedly took 19 years – only being delivered nine years after Marie Antoinette was met her fate. According to Breguet company records, the original pocket watch’s factory costs amounted to 30,000 francs (241 years ago), equating to a very rough estimate of US$265,000 today. Price: on request
Parmigiani Fleurier L’Armoriale Unique Pocket Watch
Ok this is cheating the “you can buy” element a bit as I must confess this Parmigiani Fleurier is a piece unique that I am not Parmigiani Fleurier whether or not it has been sold yet. But, its beautiful artistry made me want to squeeze it in.
With this masterpiece, you have chronograph, minute repeater, perpetual calendar complications. The dial, made of browned and engraved 18k white gold, features a moon phase set against an aventurine sky and has hand-hammered double moons fored in white gold as well. The back of the case draws inspiration from the floors of Mantua’s Palazzo Te and the enamel shades used were meticulously chosen from a thoughtfully curated palette by master enameler Vanessa Lecci.
Master engravers Eddy Jacques and Christophe Blandenier were enlisted to bring texture the case and dial, and master chain maker Laurent Jolliet was brought into the project to ensure a chain was created befitting of the artistry exhibited by the pocket watch. Price: upon request
Time+Tide Timeless Pick: vintage repeater pocket watches
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With pocket watches being criminally undervalued at present, in my opinion, unless you plan to get rowdy while wearing a pocket watch, arguably the best option is to go vintage like I did, with a minute-repeating pocket watch from Longines produced circa 1900. While minute repeater watches today are six figures, I was able to acquire the above Longines pocket watch for approximately US$7,000. The challenge here is to ensure the pocket watch you purchase is in good and running condition. Maintenance and servicing of these older pocket watches cannot be performed by your run-of-the-mill watchmaker, and to be done properly, will require significant investment. But, if you find one in exemplary running and fully functioning condition, the payoff will be massive.