Are you thinking about collecting pocket watches? Do you know somebody who is? Well, as with any specialized field, pocket watch collecting has its own terminology, and it is not always easy for the novice collector to understand what the "experts" are talking about. For example, what does it mean to say that a watch has "jewels" or that it is "adjusted"? What is a "hunter case" watch? What's the difference between a railroad "grade" watch and a railroad "approved" watch? What is a "lever set" watch? Isn't "rolled gold" a brand of pretzel?

When I first started collecting pocket watches years ago, I knew absolutely nothing about them except they looked nice and I wanted one. In fact, I couldn't even figure out how to set the time on my first watch [I thought it must be broken, and almost did break it trying to set it the wrong way!] The books I looked at were certainly useful and full of great information, but they all seemed to be written with the assumption that I already knew what they were talking about. What I really needed was somebody I could just ask a bunch of really basic questions, and who wouldn't make fun of me no matter how dumb the question. Well, in the years since then I have spent a lot of time meeting and talking with many experts in the field in an effort to find out as much as possible about this incredibly fascinating hobby. I even created a "Helpful Watch Information" Website and currently spend a few hours each week answering people's questions about their pocket watches. And, after much thought and encouragement, I finally decided to write my own little book on the subject! "The New Collector's Guide to Pocket Watches" is full of all the things I wish somebody had told me when I first started collecting, and which I have shared with many new collectors over the years. I have tried to keep things as simple and basic as possible for quick and easy comprehension, which necessarily means that this is not a scholarly treatise. But hopefully this will give you enough information to get you started and also give you a clue what those "other" books are talking about. My primary goal is simply to share my knowledge with new collectors and to encourage more people to become collectors, and I hope others will find this information useful.

The booklet has over 40 pages of information and is lavishly illustrated with scanned images from my extensive private watch collection. It measures 5" by 8" and has a spiffy cardstock cover. NEW! The Third Edition now contains approximate production dates by serial number for the major American watch companies (Waltham, Hamilton, Hampden, Elgin, and Illinois). Table of Contents A Brief History of Timekeeping Basic Terminology Parts of a Pocket Watch Movement What's the Difference Between Grade and Model? How Are Different Watches Set? How Do You Open The Back of a Watch? What Size Is My Watch? What Are Watch "Jewels"? What Does "Adjusted" Mean? Railroad Watches What is a "Fusee"? What Do those Funny Words on My Watch Mean? Gold or Just Gold-Filled? "Real" Silver vs. Fake Asking the "Experts" for Information about Your Watch Most Common American Watch Companies How Old Is My Watch? Other Sources of Information Click on the images above to see some sample pages from the book. [The actual text is larger and much clearer, of course!] Still wondering if this is the book for you? Well, if it helps any, here are some of the things people have said about The New Collector's Guide to Pocket Watches: "Great reference for the novice and the expert as well." "Good gift to new collector." "Your book is exactly what I need." "Excellent Beginners (ME) reference book. Well laid out." "Great Seller and Book-full of info for PW collectors" "Excellent book - useful and nice to read!" "Good information for a beginner at a fair price" "The book is just what I need and your friendly service was wonderful! "EXCELLENT LITTLE BOOK, FULL OF THE BASICS, JUST WHAT I NEEDED"

The New Collector's Guide to Pocket Watches (Third Edition) retails for $12.95. For a limited time, however, I am making it available for $10.98 as an introductory offer. I wish I could say I was going to throw in a free set of steak knives with every order, but I'm afraid you just get the book. If you're still interested, just click on the link below to order: