The beauty of the days gone by

I’m always fond of stories a watch or clock is telling me. Like in my first story on how I became interested in watches, today I want to tell a short story about a pocket watch I inherited years ago.

She is by no means a beauty, but if we consider her history, we might appreciate the craftsmanship used when it was manufactured. A couple of world wars and daily usage left their marks on her silver body and ceramic dial. One can see soldering, a repaired dial, and new hands. As to the brand name, I have no idea. Same goes for manufacturer year, though one could speculate before 1895, because that was the year the keyless winding mechanism was invented. This one, however, still needs that tiny key to wind and set the watch.

When I was a kid, this pocket watch adorned my great-grandfather, and I first became aware of its existence. Later, after he passed away, it became my grandfather’s possession. He never wore it because he was already a wristwatch guy, so it ended up in a drawer somewhere. Nearly 20 years passed before I developed some interest in pocket watches, and I remembered the one slumbering in my grandparents cabinet. So I decided to ask for it, and, to my surprise, it was given to me for keeping. I knew it had sentimental value to them, as well as to me now, so I treated it with caution and love. I was now close to 40, and I was sure that thing hadn’t seen a watchmaker in decades. So I took it to one and had him repair and service the watch. In hindsight, that was a mistake! I should have left the dial, beaten up by two world wars, the way it was. The repaired ceramic just sticks out visually too much. The hands did need replacing, but they are now way too shiny. Later, I lost the glass crystal, and it was replaced with an acrylic one, which works fine for me. I haven’t taken the watch to a watchmaker since. I don’t wear it anymore either, but occasionally I wind her up and let her run for a few days. Amazingly, the watch keeps perfect time, as she always had! And so I can, from time to time, take it into my hand, enjoying the second hand tick away, or hold it to my ear and listen to the beautiful “tick-tick-tick” sound coming from her gear-filled belly!