Incroyable,
well, this really can be called a decent find at an extremely attractive price. I wish a lot more of these divine Meylan watches would appear in Europe! Years ago, a friend of mine caught one at an auction for about $ 600-700 simply because no one knew the name and it had very minor faults (Germans are extremely fussy with any imperfections they can find at a watch).
Another method of acquiring high quality 'no name' watches would be to check european auctions for Bailey, Banks and Biddle of Philadelphia. The commissioned first-class swiss companies to produce their watches (like Tiffany did after 1890 with PP & Co).
The same happened with the Army & Navy watches in England (of course, they only retailed english - Clerkenwell - workmanship), to name but two examples.
Pocket watches.
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storeynicholas
A proper fob pocket in the righthand waistband of the trousers is a safe and traditional place to keep a pocket watch.
Good point! It really is a wonderful place for a SLIM pocketwatch. I always ask the tailor for these pockets to be inserted in vestless suits.
Do not even try to squeeze a18 size watch of american make into such a pocket, not to mention english full hunters!
Simply put, the emergence of these little pockets along with the waning age of vests resulted in smaller watches (12 size) and eventually even their complete replacement by those ... wristwatches.
Do not even try to squeeze a18 size watch of american make into such a pocket, not to mention english full hunters!
Simply put, the emergence of these little pockets along with the waning age of vests resulted in smaller watches (12 size) and eventually even their complete replacement by those ... wristwatches.
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storeynicholas
The fob pocket in the r/h side waistband of the trousers is the traditional place to keep a watch.
Please excuse my question, but what do you mean by 'traditional'?
If you go back as far as the very early 1800s, pocket watches (slim was the fashion these days, think of the cylinder escapement and such prolific makers like Bautte, Lepine and, of course, Breguet) were indeed worn in the waistband with a watch fob . It was either made from ribbed silk or 'simply' a little gold chain with pendants (seals, key, carved gemstones).
At about 1830s, you find the gentlemen gradually wearing their pocket watches on chains in their waistcoats.
Please cf. C. Willett & Philiis Cunnington, Handbook of English Costume in the Ninteenth Century, London 1959, p. 154. Here they quote the Pickwick Papers of 1836-37, that Stockbrokers were wearing 'very little watches and very large guard chains'. Pictures of the 1840s show the gentleman clearly carrying his watch on a chain in his waistcoat.
Talking of the 1870 to 1890s, the watch fob in day dress was more or less out of fashion, almost every gentleman (not all of the working class members!) wore a vest for his day dress or evening dress.
The fob returned in the 1920s/30s, especially with evening wear, and I of course agree that those gentlemen dispensing of their vests returned to the ancient fashion finding a place for their slim watches in their waistbands.
If you go back as far as the very early 1800s, pocket watches (slim was the fashion these days, think of the cylinder escapement and such prolific makers like Bautte, Lepine and, of course, Breguet) were indeed worn in the waistband with a watch fob . It was either made from ribbed silk or 'simply' a little gold chain with pendants (seals, key, carved gemstones).
At about 1830s, you find the gentlemen gradually wearing their pocket watches on chains in their waistcoats.
Please cf. C. Willett & Philiis Cunnington, Handbook of English Costume in the Ninteenth Century, London 1959, p. 154. Here they quote the Pickwick Papers of 1836-37, that Stockbrokers were wearing 'very little watches and very large guard chains'. Pictures of the 1840s show the gentleman clearly carrying his watch on a chain in his waistcoat.
Talking of the 1870 to 1890s, the watch fob in day dress was more or less out of fashion, almost every gentleman (not all of the working class members!) wore a vest for his day dress or evening dress.
The fob returned in the 1920s/30s, especially with evening wear, and I of course agree that those gentlemen dispensing of their vests returned to the ancient fashion finding a place for their slim watches in their waistbands.
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