Collecting POCKET WATCHES

More affordable than wristwatches and often superior in quality, the pocket watch could well be the timepiece of the moment for collectors...

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Pocket watches were once rich boys' toys, says Penny Andrews, head of watches at Bonhams, London. They were novelty scientific instruments; the kind of thing you'd buy to show off to your friends. Ironically, in the mid-tolate 1600s, when they first became fashionable, the only people who could afford to buy them weren't governed by time - they lived lives of luxury and leisure.'

Pocket watches evolved over the course of 400 years or so. In building a collection, you can really zoom in on something that interests you. There are so many different makers, styles, cases and types of movement,' says Penny. 'Some buyers are interested in pocket watches' changing technology, while others collect them as miniature works of art - the best watchmakers often collaborated with other top craftspeople to produce cases embellished with enamelwork, or incredible engraving, with stunning results.'