Pocket watches · Case
Pocket Watch Hands
VerifiedThe hour, minute and (where fitted) seconds indicators of a pocket watch, whose style is a useful, though not conclusive, period and grade indicator.
Mechanism
Hour and minute hands are friction-fitted to the cannon pinion and hour wheel of the motion works; a seconds hand, where fitted, is friction-fitted to the fourth-wheel pivot.
Typical characteristics
- Blued or gilt steel construction on most period-correct hands
- Styles including spade, Breguet (moon-tip), poire, and cathedral hands
- Matched design between hour and minute hands on original sets
Identification characteristics
- Compare hand style, finish and proportion against catalogued examples for the grade and period
- Mismatched or incorrectly sized replacement hands are common
Collector significance
A secondary but useful originality check, particularly when combined with dial and case assessment.
Known variations
- Spade hands
- Breguet (moon) hands
- Poire (pear) hands
- Cathedral hands
Photographs
Photographs are illustrative examples of the type, not necessarily the exact object described. Verify details against the source file page.
Sources & references
- Cutmore, M., Watches 1850-1980
Where sources disagree, the disagreement is stated rather than resolved silently.