Antique Railroad Grade Pocket WatchesRailroad grade pocket watches were built to conform to the General Railroad Timepiece Standards specifications, a set of technical requirements designed to ensure that train engineers and other rail company employees would carry timepieces that were accurate, reliable, and durable. The mass production of these precision pocket watches, many with interchangeable parts, movements, cases, and dials, was an amazing feat of industrial engineering at the time, and has left us with a legacy of wonderful pocket watches that keep very good time today. Here collectors can find all the great old American pocketwatches from Waltham, Elgin, Howard, Hamilton, Illinois and others, with a new collection of historic timepieces appearing daily. | Bids | Current Bid/ Price | Sale Ends | |  | Seller: massey-corner-antiques Feedback: 2,342 99.6% | 11 bids
| $167.50
| 55 secs |  | Seller: larry7650 Feedback: 189 100.0% | 5 bids
| $63.00
| 4 mins 10 secs |  | The Watch is in Excellent Working Cosmetic Condition Seller: aladdinsmall09 Feedback: 1,161 100.0% | 10 bids
| $71.00
| 4 mins 28 secs |  | Seller: prettysoldier77 Feedback: 593 99.2% | 15 bids
| $51.01
| 5 mins 22 secs |  | Very Fancy Case...Serviced & Running Great...Sharp! Seller: cushioncase Feedback: 4,810 100.0% | 16 bids
| $76.00
| 13 mins 8 secs |  | Seller: memc Feedback: 1,146 100.0% | 6 bids
| $41.00
| 17 mins 18 secs |  | Seller: prettysoldier77 Feedback: 593 99.2% | 7 bids
| $45.25
| 20 mins 37 secs |   | 23 Jewel Motor Barrel, Adjusted 6 Positions Up/Down Seller: 1timeshop1 Feedback: 47 100.0% |
 | $1,999.00 | 22 mins |  | Seller: gizzmotango Feedback: 7,052 99.6% |
 | $175.00 | 23 mins 31 secs |  | Seller: p-estate Feedback: 759 99.6% | 7 bids
| $125.38
| 24 mins |  | Seller: arbonannie1 Feedback: 3,813 99.4% | 4 bids
| $16.66
| 24 mins 10 secs |  | OFFICIAL RAILROAD STANDARD Seller: ghengis_coins Feedback: 1,916 100.0% | 13 bids
| $1,380.00
| 25 mins 52 secs |  | Seller: all_ways_on_time Feedback: 10,050 99.1% | 8 bids
| $31.11
| 26 mins 25 secs |  | Seller: all_ways_on_time Feedback: 10,050 99.1% | 12 bids
| $22.59
| 26 mins 25 secs |  | Seller: all_ways_on_time Feedback: 10,050 99.1% | 9 bids
| $55.00
| 26 mins 27 secs |  | Seller: all_ways_on_time Feedback: 10,050 99.1% | 12 bids
| $44.09
| 26 mins 27 secs |  | Seller: all_ways_on_time Feedback: 10,050 99.1% | 8 bids
| $31.00
| 26 mins 28 secs |  | Seller: all_ways_on_time Feedback: 10,050 99.1% | 14 bids
| $72.00
| 26 mins 28 secs |  | Seller: all_ways_on_time Feedback: 10,050 99.1% | 8 bids
| $21.50
| 26 mins 28 secs |  | Seller: all_ways_on_time Feedback: 10,050 99.1% | 11 bids
| $32.00
| 26 mins 29 secs | Some sources of information on the history of railroad grade pocket watches and other topics of interest to watch and clock collectors and horology enthusiasts.
The place to start is Horology - The Index, the website of the National Association of Watch and Clock Collectors, or NAWCC. There you can find horological organizations, information on horological science and the development of timekeeping devices, and useful tips on antique pocket watch repair and restoration as well as buying, selling, appraisal and collecting antique watches and clocks. They also have a very nice virtual watch and clock museum tour with all kinds of interesting horological information and pictures.
To get a quick overview of the development of portable timepieces, from clock-watches of the 16th century to the railroad grade pocket watches of the late 19th century, see wiki's watch page.
To find definitions of words used for the various parts of watch movements and other technical terms used in horology, see Barry Goldberg's watch information page.
If you would like to understand the intricacies of how things like balance wheels and lever escapements work, check out The Horologium.
Some interesting perspectives from noted collectors of antique pocket watches:
Tom McIntyre talks about collecting American Watch Co. products of the Waltham Watch Company, including lots of historical details about watch companies, watch movements, and informed antique "railroad" watch collecting.
Vintage watch and clock expert Jonathan Snellenburg talks about the societal forces driving watch and clock technology and the historic cultural changes that resulted from better timepieces, as well as technical details of the progression from the verge escapement through pocket watches to wrist watches.
Horologist Barry S. Goldberg gives advice on collecting antique American made pocket watches, including great tips for beginners on things like gold-filled and silveride cases, two tone watch movements, and how the original authenticity of railroad grade pocketwatches can be compromised.
The Ohio jeweler and watchmaker Webb Ball led the commission that established the General Railroad Timepiece Standards, standardizing railroad chronometer specifications.
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