Pocket Watches · Pocket watch
Tissot Steel Round Art Deco Pocket Watch with Original Dial, 1940
- Maker / attribution
- Tissot (maker)
- Date
- 1940
- Historical period
- Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking (1900 – 1945)
- Country of origin
- Switzerland
- Object type
- Pocket watch
- Materials / technique
- steel
- Dealer
- WatchMuseum.org shop
- Stock no.
- Product 3388
- Credit line
- Dealer listing, WatchMuseum.org shop (product 3388)
- Catalogue title (original)
- Tissot Steel Round Art Deco Pocket Watch with Original Dial (English)
View the source record (dealer listing) ↗ (opens another website in a new tab)Suggest a correction
Record summary
Catalogued by WatchMuseum.org shop (stock number Product 3388), this is a pocket watch by Tissot, made in Switzerland, dated 1940. The Atlas places it in the Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking period (1900 – 1945) of its Pocket Watches collection. Materials and techniques recorded by the source: steel. The record is illustrated with 6 photographs.
Assembled from the source record's structured fields. Dates and attributions are given as the source states them; where a field is missing the Atlas leaves it blank rather than estimating.
Catalogue description
Dealer description — WatchMuseum.org shop
Step back in time with the Tissot Steel Round Art Deco Pocket Watch with Original Dial from the 1940s, a stunning testament to the elegance and craftsmanship of a bygone era. This open-faced pocket watch, crafted from high-quality stainless steel, embodies the quintessential Art Deco style with its signature round design. The timepiece features a manual winding movement with 15 jewels, ensuring it continues to function properly even after decades of storage in a secure vault. The original silvered dial is beautifully adorned with Arabic numerals and complemented by original blued steel leaf hands, adding to its timeless charm. As a creation of Tissot, a revered Swiss watchmaker with a storied history, this pocket watch is not only a rare and valuable collector’s item but also an exceptional example of Art Deco design. Whether you’re a seasoned collector or a lover of vintage timepieces, this watch is a remarkable addition to any collection, embodying the rich heritage and exquisite craftsmanship of the 1940s. This exquisite open-faced pocket watch by Tissot is a true example of Art Deco style. Crafted from high-quality stainless steel, this timepiece dates back to the 1940s and showcases the signature round design typical of the era. The watch boasts a manual winding movement with 15 jewels that is still functioning properly. The original silvered dial is adorned with Arabic numerals, which complement the original blued steel leaf hands perfectly. This pocket watch is a remarkable timepiece that has been stored in a secure vault for about 40 years, making it even more rare and valuable. Tissot is a well-respected Swiss watchmaker with a long and rich history. This watch is a great addition to any collection, and an exceptional example of Art Deco design. Creator: Tissot Case Shape: Round Movement: Manual Wind Style: Art Deco Place of Origin: Switzerland Period: 1940-1949 Date of Manufacture: 1940”s Condition: Excellent
Historical context
Golden Age of Mechanical Watchmaking (1900 – 1945)
The wristwatch displaces the pocket watch; waterproof cases, self-winding and grand complications.
The pocket watch reached technical maturity and then began to give way to the wristwatch after the First World War. Complicated watches for collectors such as Henry Graves Jr. and James Ward Packard, railroad watches, and slim Art Deco dress watches are characteristic.
Read the period in the timelineMore pocket watches from this periodEarlier: Industrial Revolution
Atlas type guide
Pocket watches
The pocket watch was the dominant personal timekeeper from the late seventeenth century until the First World War. Its development tracks the history of the escapement: verge watches with fusees until the late eighteenth century; Thomas Mudge's lever escapement (c. 1755) and the cylinder escapement popularised by George Graham and later by Swiss makers; and the Swiss and English lever watches of the nineteenth century. Lépine's bar-bridge calibre and keyless winding made watches thinner and easier to use.
Industrialisation transformed the trade: American factories such as Waltham (from 1850) and Elgin produced interchangeable parts by machine, and Swiss makers responded with their own mechanisation after the 1876 Philadelphia Exhibition. By 1900 a reliable watch was affordable to millions; the finest makers continued to produce complications and precision watches.
What to look for
- The escapement: verge (crown wheel), cylinder, duplex, English or Swiss lever.
- Key winding (a square arbor in dial or back) or keyless crown winding.
- Signatures and serial numbers on the movement, dial and inside case back.
- Hallmarks, case maker's marks and gold or silver standards stamped in the case.
- Dial material: enamel, silver, gold, later printed metal.
Dating clues
- Verge watches dominate before c. 1800; cylinder watches c. 1770–1900; lever watches after c. 1820.
- Keyless winding: increasingly common after c. 1860.
- Manufacturer serial number lists exist for Waltham, Elgin, Longines, Omega, Patek Philippe and others.
General guidance written by the Atlas editors about this kind of object. It is not a statement about this particular piece; for that, rely on the source record above and on physical examination.
Read next:Verge escapementDetached lever escapementFuseeIdentification Centre
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