There were only a couple of folks who actually 'needed' a pocket watch during the era - one was a railroader.
The rest of the time, regular folks got by by 'reckoning' and by the position of the moon and stars ( and we're not going in to a 'cloudy night' scenario) - they were far more in tune with nature than folks are, today.
Pocket watches were in use, though - they were by no means a rarity - they just weren't as common as timepieces are today, and weren't used much by the cowboy, but more by the townsman and businessman, so pick which of your characters would be the most likely to possess one.
Remember - they weren't waterproof and quite as reliable as they'd become, and outdoor life was hard on them.
Your characters could easily own one, though stage lines didn't abide by a set timetable, due to unforseen circumstances encountered on the route.
Good Luck!
Vaya,
Scouts Out!
Here's something that may help:
St. George's Notes I - Pocket Watch Protocol...
« on: May 30, 2004, 09:31:43 am »
Sooner or later, a cowboy will want to begin to look more closely at his impression, wondering how to refine it a little.
As I write these, keep in mind that the notes are designed to do just that.
In C&WAS, you see the basic outfit - the boots and hats and vests and all.
Those vests held all manner of things deemed important to a man at the time - tobacco, a Tally Book and pencil, and sometimes, even a pocket watch.
We'll talk about those today.
First off, not everyone had one.
They were relatively expensive, delicate and weren't really needed, since everybody could tell time by the sun.
Who'd need one?
Maybe a Foreman, most definitely a Railroader, a Banker or perhaps a Lawyer and maybe even an Army Officer.
Not the average cowhand, since most likely, he couldn't afford one and if he really needed one - most likely, the outfit would loan it to him for those duties he'd require it for.
Early pocket watches found in the West would've had what was known as a "Hunting Case" - meaning that the glass crystal was covered by a hinged cover that was a part of the case, as a protector.
It's that cover that you see being snapped shut with great finality.
Don't do that.
It may look "cool" in a Western for dramatic effect, but it doesn't do the watch any good at all.
The metal that serves as a catch is a fairly thin base metal and the catch itself is made of steel, so you can readily see how a hard metal - against a softer one will eventually damage the watch case.
If you're going to close the case, first push in on the latch and then close the cover completely with thumb pressure and relieve pressure on the latch in order for it to catch.
Your watch case will benefit and you'll look like you know what you're doing.
Now, there were several styles of pocket watch - Key-Wind, along with Stem-Wind, with the latter being the latest model.
Key-wound watches were wound by the use of a small key - carried on the watch chain.
The watch could be built by American Horologe Company - later Waltham Watch Company - first started in 1850 - and they were the innovators of mass-produced machine-made interchangeable parts for the industry - lowering prices for watches and many other mechanical things as well.
That key may have wound an "Eight-Day" movement - and you'd wind it on Sunday.
It could be a B.W. Raymond - a "Railroad Watch" first built by the National Watch Company - later the Elgin Watch Company - first built in 1867, or - it could be Swiss, since Swiss watches were common at the time.
If you really have something interesting - it could also be a "Repeater" where a button could be pressed to hear a chime striking to the nearest quarter-hour.
A "Railroad" watch was a watch known for superior accuracy and was calibrated and regulated periodically to ensure such.
The watch face would feature the numerals in the Roman style, with the earlier version of "4" being read as "IIII" and later, "IV".
Incidentally - these watches were pretty good-sized affairs - the size acting as a shock absorber.
Smaller ones would be for dress and for the guys in town.
In order to accurately date your watch - you need the serial number from the watch movement - not from the watch case.
Gently pop the catch or unscrew the back cover and look at the movement's number.
Then, go to your Search Engine and type in the brand of watch and "serial numbers" and you should see one of the many collector and factory sites that have the lists available.
The serial number list for Elgin will give you movement size, number of jewels, number built, and date of manufacture.
Nice stuff to know and easy, besides.
A pocket watch was carried on a chain and on a fob.
Watch chains had a toggle on one end for a button hole and a spring-loaded hook on the other for the watch itself.
They came in both base metal as well as precious metal, with the plated metals being most common and practical, since they were the strongest, but when you do find a nice gold-plated one, a bit of polish will quickly restore it to its former glory, so keep your eyes open.
There are a lot of styles, so pick one you really like.
Watch Fobs are another matter entirely.
Quickly, they featured a thin leather strap, with doubled ends - one for the watch - the other for a small metal (usually) charm or advertising piece, and were carried in the vest pocket or watch pocket of the trousers - the strap allowing for easy removal to check on the arrival of the Stage.
We'll talk about those at a later time, along with the small watch charms.
Scouts Out!