Buying guides
Read one of these before you buy. They cover what made a watch railroad grade, the Hamilton 992 family, how to date a movement by its serial number, how Waltham ranked its grades, how to spot a refinished dial and what to watch for in an eBay listing. If you’re new to all this, start with the railroad-grade guide.
What Made a Pocket Watch Railroad Grade
The 1891 Kipton wreck, Webb C. Ball's inspectors, the 1893 railroad watch standards and how they changed, and what to check on a railroad grade listing.
Read the guide →The Hamilton 992 Family, Year by Year
How Hamilton's 992 became the 992E and then the 992B, what changed in each, and how to tell them apart in listing photos by serial, balance and dial.
Read the guide →How to Date a Hamilton Pocket Watch by Its Serial Number
Where to find the serial on a Hamilton movement, how to look it up, what the letter prefixes mean, and how the grade number confirms the result.
Read the guide →Waltham Vanguard vs Riverside: How the Grades Stack Up
How Waltham's Vanguard, Crescent Street, Riverside and Riverside Maximus grades compare, which were built for railroad service, and what to check.
Read the guide →Original, Replaced or Repainted? Reading a Pocket Watch Dial
How to tell enamel from metal and melamine, what single and double sunk mean, which dial damage is normal, and the signs of a repainted or replacement dial.
Read the guide →eBay Red Flags for American Pocket Watches, and Where the NAWCC Fits
What to check on an eBay pocket watch listing, from movement photos and mixed parts to railroad claims and case metal, plus where the NAWCC can help.
Read the guide →