Open Face Watch
An open face watch is a pocket timepiece without a protective hinged front cover, prized for quick legibility and traditional mechanics.
Open Face Watch
An open face watch displays the dial directly without a metal lid, allowing the time to be checked at a glance. This style suits waistcoats and pockets where speed of reading matters more than case protection.
The pieces catalogued here span periods from the Victorian era through the 1950s, taking in early twentieth century designs, Art Deco styling and utilitarian mid-century military issues. Silver, gold and base metals form the main case materials encountered.
Pocket watches and pocket watch movements appear across numerous regional English workshops and major Swiss or American manufacturing houses. Many examples arrive accompanied by albert chains, fobs or compasses.
How They Were Made
Casework relies on silver, gold, gold plate, nickel, brass, steel and gun metal, often paired with glass crystals protecting enamel dials. Fusee movements represent older traditional craftsmanship, while later examples utilise stem winding mechanisms and jewelled movements.
Specialised variations incorporate chronographs, calendar displays, moonphase indicators and eight-day power reserves. Railway service pieces and military equipment demand robust metal construction for daily operational accuracy.
Open Face Watch Retail Price Guide 2026
Typical asking prices for open face watch among the pieces listed under this phrase on Sellingantiques today, from the lower quarter to the upper quarter. They describe what is for sale here now, not the wider market.
Several pocket watches arrive paired with miniature compasses and fobs, ready for nineteenth-century navigation.
What Varies in Quality
The refinement of the movement distinguishes standard production from superior workshop output, particularly in jewelling count and adjustment. Solid gold or heavy silver cases demonstrate greater intrinsic substance than plated or base metal alternatives.
Maker reputation heavily influences standing, with established names like Waltham, Omega, and J W Benson commanding distinct interest compared to lesser-known local retailers.
J W Benson·Kendal & Dent·Revue·Buren·Helvetia·Guinand·Waltham·Lemania·Camerer Cuss·Omega·Record·Limit·Thomas Russell & Son·Tavannes·New York Standard·Cyma·Octava·Sackville·Lange & Sohne·Minerva·Elgin·Silvana·Richardson·Syren·Paxus
The Open Face Watch Glossary
- Fusee
- A conical pulley used in older pocket watches to maintain even force on the gear train as the mainspring unwinds. This mechanical arrangement helps ensure steady timekeeping across the winding cycle.
- Albert chain
- A short chain attached to a pocket watch, designed to secure the timepiece to a waistcoat buttonhole or garment pocket. They frequently incorporate matching fobs, medallions or small compasses.
- Enamel dial
- A watch face formed by fusing powdered glass to a metal substrate under high heat. This technique creates a smooth, glossy surface resistant to fading over decades of use.
- Chronograph
- A watch equipped with an independent sweep-second hand that can be started, stopped and returned to zero for timing intervals. Such mechanisms add complexity to the internal gear train.
- Three-quarter plate
- A watch movement layout where a single large plate covers the majority of the internal mechanism rather than separate bridges for each wheel. English watchmaking utilised this design extensively.
Open Face Watch: Frequently Asked Questions
How do I wind an open face watch?
Many examples utilise a stem wind mechanism where the crown at the twelve o'clock position turns to tension the mainspring.
Older fusee designs may require a separate key inserted through a small hole in the back or dial to wind the mechanism.
What is an albert chain used for?
The chain secures the pocket watch to a garment, preventing accidental drops while carrying the timepiece in a waistcoat or jacket pocket.
Fobs and decorative elements attached to the chain add weight to anchor the strap securely through a buttonhole.
How can I tell the period of a pocket watch?
Case hallmarks provide specific assay office symbols and date letters that indicate the exact year precious metal was tested and stamped.
Stylistic cues such as enamel dial typography, case shapes and movement architecture also point towards Victorian, Art Deco or mid-century origins.
Can I wear an antique pocket watch daily?
Regular use remains entirely practical provided the movement receives professional servicing and cleaning by a qualified horologist.
Care should be taken to avoid magnetic fields and moisture, as vintage cases rarely offer modern water resistance.