Collecting Watches
By John Condie

Watches - especially amongst men - have always been regarded as status symbols.For those interested in 'power' dressing, what you wear on your wrist will say a lot about yourself. The chunky Rolex chronograph for the 'action man' or the sleek, solid gold Cartier for the 'man about town'. Watches were first produced as pocket watches in the mid-16th century, for an elite few who possessed an interest in the new science of horology and had the money, of course, to purchase what were then, as now, luxury items. By the mid-17th century their popularity had increased and watches as novelty items became more common. 18th century developments saw mechanisms being put into intricate and decorative cases and by the 19th century, as with so many things, developing skills and an industrialised workforce put the 'de-luxe' pocketwatches with automata on the dials and musical mechanisms within, into the reach of the middle classes. Enamelled pocket watches from this period are miniature works of art and as with vesta cases and visiting card cases, their creators were often unknown craftsmen working in the jewellery quarters of Birmingham and London. Some of the most prized examples of this type are the watches that open to reveal an erotic scene painted inside, with figures moving in time to the ticking seconds! Prices for these saucy watches are in the region of £3,000 ($4,800), but for intricate examples £15,000 ($24,000) is not unknown.

We tend to forget that the 'wristwatch' has only been in existence since the beginning of the 20th century. During the First World War, soldiers found the cumbersome practice of having to retrieve their watches from the pockets of their uniforms highly impractical - especially during battle. Consequently lugs were welded onto small fob watches and then attached to a strap, enabling the watch to be worn around the wrist. Watch manufacturers soon realised the advantages of this new style and began to manufacture wristwatches. Rolex is considered to be one of the early pioneers of accurate wristwatches but others such as Vacheron and Constantin, Patek Phillipe, Bulova and Waltham were not far behind. Good watches are expensive to buy new, so obviously prices for old - and not so old - are not cheap. But like motor cars, once the deluxe model has left the showroom, the resale price drops and auctions are a good place to purchase recent luxury watches at a discount.