Collecting Pocket Watches for Pleasure and Investment: An English Collector’s Guide
The gentle click of a hunter case opening, the intricate dance of a fusee chain mechanism, the satisfying weight of sterling silver in your hand—these are the sensory pleasures that have captivated English collectors for generations. Pocket watches represent more than mere timekeeping devices; they embody Britain’s illustrious horological heritage, from the workshops of Clerkenwell to the manufactories of Prescot and Coventry. For the discerning British collector, these timepieces offer both aesthetic satisfaction and genuine investment potential, particularly when approached with knowledge and care.
The Golden Heritage of English Watchmaking
Britain’s dominance in watchmaking during the 17th and 18th centuries remains unparalleled. London was the epicentre of world horology, producing timepieces that were exported globally and coveted by royalty and merchants alike. The era produced legendary makers whose names still command premium prices at auction: Thomas Tompion, known as the “father of English clockmaking,” George Graham, John Harrison (whose marine chronometer solved the longitude problem), and the firms of Arnold & Dent, Frodsham, and J.W. Benson.
This golden age wasn’t confined to the capital. Prescot in Lancashire became synonymous with precision watchmaking from the early 1700s, producing components and movements that were “universally allowed to be the best in the world”. The town’s cottage industry supplied rough movements to finishing centres in London, Liverpool, and Coventry, creating a sophisticated network of specialist craftsmen. Coventry emerged as another major centre, with firms like Rotherham & Sons (tracing origins to 1747) becoming the largest watch manufacturer in the city by the 1880s, producing 500 watches weekly.
The English watchmaking tradition emphasised quality over quantity, employing techniques such as fusee mechanisms for consistent power delivery and exquisite hand-finishing. These watches were crafted using the “établissage” system—rough movements created in Prescot were sent to London, Coventry, or Liverpool where specialist artisans would complete the intricate finishing work. This division of labour created timepieces of extraordinary quality but higher cost, ultimately leading to the industry’s decline when faced with American mass production and Swiss competition in the late 19th century
