These are links to the antique watches in my collection. I collect Swiss and English pocket watches and trench watches. Typically, I buy the watch and admire it for a while. I will wear it to a few events and then sell it to fund my next purchase. It keeps my collection ticking over, keeps the costs down and allows someone else to enjoy an antique watch.
Mappin Campaign watch, by Longines, 1915
This a Mappin Campaign trench watch from 1915. The 15-jewel movement was made by Longines. The case is silver.
Revue full hunter pocket watch, c1910
This is a Revue full-hunter pocket watch with a good quality 15-jewel movement. The case was made by the Geneva Watch Case Company.
Electa trench watch, 1914
This Electa trench watch, dating to 1914, contains a high-quality 17-jewel movement. The watch is housed in a silver Borgel case, which was designed to be dust and moisture-resistant, if not, waterproof.
Silver Omega pocket watch, 1909
The watch has a 15-jewel stem-winding movement which is keeping excellent time. The Swiss made movement is signed Omega and based on the size, is most likely to be a 17 ligne Omega movement.
Dimier Freres & Cie pocket watch, 1919
This antique Dimier Freres & Cie pocket watch, 1919 contains a good quality 15-jewel movement. Dimier Freres & Cie were watch importers. The movement in this watch is likely to be from Revue Thommen, the case is from The Dennison Watch Case Company.
Satisfaction pocket watch, c1910
This antique Satisfaction pocket watch was made by L. Tièche-Gammeter (LTG) between 1909 and 1917. It has a good quality 15-jewel movement and comes in a Dennison Star case of rolled gold.
James Walker silver hunter pocket watch, 1920
This antique pocket watch was retailed by James Walker of London. The quality 15-jewel movement was made by H. Williamson.
Antique 19 jewel Limit pocket watch c1910
This antique Limit pocket watch was made by Hirst Brothers, c1910. It has a gold-plated case and has a high-quality 19-jewel movement.
Antique Zenith pocket watch, 1915
This antique pocket watch was made by the iconic Swiss manufacturer, Zenith. It has a Zenith 15-jewel 19.5”’ movement. It is a very presentable and practical timepiece.
Coventry Astral pocket watch from H Williamson, 1912
This antique pocket watch was manufactured and finished by the noted English watchmaker H Williamson Ltd. It is presentable and practical. It has a good quality, English made, Swiss movement with 16 jewels.
J.G. Graves The Express English Lever Silver Pocket Watch, 1898
This antique pocket watch comes from a noted retailer and a respected English manufacturer. It is a very presentable timepiece and is accurate enough for practical use. In its day this would have been an ordinary worker’s watch, rugged and reliable.
Longines silver pocket watch for Camerer Kuss & Co, 1914
This is a superbly presented silver antique pocket watch. The dial and case are crisp and clean. The watch has a Longines movement and keeps very accurate time to within one minute per day.
Criterion full hunter cased pocket watch. c1910
This is my first hunter cased antique pocket watch. It is a Swiss-made movement with 15 jewels and comes in a rolled gold Dennison case. It’s a presentable and reliable timekeeper, accurate to within one minute per day.
Sir John Bennett open-faced pocket watch in rose gold, 1920.
This was my first antique pocket watch. A very presentable and reliable open-faced pocket watch from Sir John Bennett. The case is 9ct rose gold and in good condition. It has a Swiss Made movement with 15 jewels and keeps accurate time, within two minutes per day.
Swiss made gentlemen’s silver trench watch, 1917.
This was the first antique trench watch that I added to my collection. The silver case is in good condition, considering its age. It keeps good time over the course of a day, within a couple of minutes. It is missing the luminescent paint from the hands and the dial, but this is not unusual for an original piece.
Antique J W Benson silver fusee pocket watch, 1883.
Every antique pocket watch collection needs a J W Benson. This is my first. It has a fusee movement, the case is sterling silver and is in great condition for an antique timepiece. It’s very accurate for its age and remains a very useable timepiece.
Fonetainemelon silver trench watch, 1914
This is one of my favourites. The dial and lens are in such good condition, it looks almost new. It also keeps great time and is probably the antique watch I wear most often. It’s a small size and easily passes as a modern dress watch. The only downside is that my wife keeps on asking if she can wear it. The answer has always been a firm no.
English Lever pocket watch, R Kaiser, York, 1896.
This is a reliable and very presentable English antique pocket watch. I wear it, on rotation, with my other antique pocket watches, whenever there is an occasion that requires wearing a waistcoat. It’s a reliable timekeeper over the course of a business day.
Preferred suppliers
The suppliers listed below have been used by Time Worn Watches and are recommended as reliable retailers with a record of great service.
Atlam watches is run by Bettina Skogland–Kirk. They have been market leaders in antique and vintage pocket watches for over 30 years and have one of the largest stocks of pocket watches in the UK. They are based in Portobello Road, London. You can read about my visit to their store here.
The Vintage Wrist Watch Company is an online specialist and retailer of antique wristwatches and pocket watches. Their stock is from well-known manufacturers such as Omega and Tissot and also pieces from the smaller Swiss factories.
RomanDial Watches offers various types of pocket watches, which are serviced and restored to their original condition. They offer attentive customer support as they recognise the need to provide a knowledge base for both first-time buyers as well as experienced collectors.
The Vintage Watch Room London is a retailer of antique and vintage 20th-century watches that are both affordable and stylish. My particular interest is in the selection of World War One era trench watches. You can read about our experience with the Vintage Watch Room here.
J.J. Browne & Son is a family-owned jewellery business that has proudly been serving the Caterham area since 1921. As well as jewellery, they can have a range of new and vintage watches. They have a dedicated workshop and craftspeople with decades of experience from prestigious brands such as Rolex, Omega, Breitling, Cartier and Longines. They have recently carried out a restoration project on a Tudor cushion case watch which had belonged to my great-grandfather with amazing results.