Are most silver watches here pocket watches?

Yes. "Pocket" appears in 1,017 of 1,338 titles, against 151 carrying "wrist". The wristwatches that do appear are early ones: WW1 trench watches with wire lugs, Borgel screw cases, and 1920s and 30s cushion, tonneau and Art Deco shapes.

What does half hunter mean?

A half hunter has a hinged lid over the dial with a glazed window cut into it, so the hands can be read while the cover is shut. A full hunter's lid is solid. Both are the minority. Half hunters run to 124 titles and full hunters 64, while over a thousand listings say only "pocket", meaning the plain open-faced case.

How old are these watches?

The dated field runs from 1800 to 1960, with 1,273 listings carrying a clean year. Four decades dominate: the 1910s, 1920s, 1900s and 1930s together account for more than three quarters of the archive. The 1940s, 50s and 60s together add fewer than a hundred.

Do many come with a chain?

About one in six. Chains are named in 224 titles, with albert specified in 15. The chains sometimes bring company. A football fob, a bell fob, a dog locket and a double albert all turn up in the archive.

Which makers turn up most often?

Waltham is the single most-named maker in titles, just ahead of Omega. J W Benson is the leading British name. Plenty of watches carry no maker at all, or a retailer's name only, and some are simply listed as Swiss or English. Names appear stamped on the movement, on the dial, or in some listings only as an attribution.

What are the unusual pieces in this category?

The tail is more varied than the heading suggests. A silver pocket barometer, a brass-and-silver compass built as a pocket watch, a sovereign case, a 24-hour dial, an 8-day Octava and a Hebdomas with a visible escapement have all passed through. Military and railway issue shows up too, with Admiralty, RAF and Royal Flying Corps numbers, a Kriegsmarine artillery chronograph and watches numbered for the Taff Vale and North British railways. Engraved presentation pieces appear occasionally, marked for a cycling club, an infantry regiment, a shipyard and a hotel among others.