Best Pocket Watches

The Bulova 96B270 presents a refreshing take on the classic retro look, not too decorated/accessorized yet not too minimalistic and understated too. The cover's etched with this tuning fork logo, adding edge to its otherwise clean profile. The finish is not too rough yet not too polished, giving the model character but without making this timepiece look unrefined. In other words, the watch embraces the future without denying its past.

Appearance aside, the model's future also comes from the 50-mm stainless steel case that's waterproof up to 100 feet, enough to survive temporary submersion and deal with splashes with ease. Plus, the case also protects the mechanisms inside against dust and moisture.

The idea here was to make the watch's face as clean and uncluttered as possible without making the product too basic, hence the tiny little calendar window that shows you the current date.

Where the product somewhat falls down is that the beautiful gift box is not packing an owner's manual, so you'll have to consult the Internet to figure out battery replacement and other maintenance concerns.

Other than that, the Bulova 96B270 is big, heavy, beautifully crafted, and always accurate, maintaining the classic timekeeping art without forgetting to move forward.

The Stuhrling 6053.33113 is vintage through and through. From its Breguet-style hands to printed Roman numerals, the watch oozes antique esteem.

You can start with the Krysterna crystals on the front and back. But you can also forget about these elegant details and pivot right to the push/pull onion-style crown and crown guard, with the knob's spherical shape and vertical grooves resembling an onion, hence the moniker. Besides adding elegance points, the enclosures within the guard will be preventing malfunctions and inaccuracies. The crown becomes stiff eventually though, so setting the time will start taking, pardon, time and effort.

The skeletonized dial and an exhibition caseback reveal and showcase the watch's captivating mechanical movement. The only issue here is that the company's logo, albeit not particularly large, is imprinted on the glass, somewhat defeating the skeletonized dial's purpose.

Everything here revolves around the model's vintage presence aside from the integrated hinge that allows this timepiece to stand upright on flat surfaces.

Without boring you any further with unnecessary details, the Stuhrling 6053.33113 celebrates tradition but also makes sure to keep the watch durable and easy to manage.

The Speidel 35503123 is less pretentious than most pocket models, which is something that easily makes the product more appealing since pocket watches are pretty out there to begin with, so do you need need to go overboard making them too decorated/embellished. Sure, the watch has its vintage flair and a certain touch of the past but without becoming the outfit's focal point.

You can add a heartfelt engraved message onto the classic brushed cover and make the gift even more intimate and personal. The company also lets you choose between black, silver, silver/blue, silver/black, and black/silver combinations, all attractive in their own right.

As you can tell, the watch comes equipped with day and date sub-dials at 9 and 3 o'clock respectively, making this timepiece more modern-looking and also more functional. The push-down crown button is easy to open and makes these sub-dials easy to adjust. Pocket watches are not complete without chains and clasps. These are present here too, except that the clasp is pretty small and might not fit standard jeans' belt loops.

Apart from this little oversight, the Speidel 35503123 is what we would recommend to people not too committed to the whole pocket watch idea yet looking to experiment and add vintage flair to their wardrobe.

The TREEWETO Pocket Watch is expressive, to say the least. As you can probably infer from the pictures, the watch is not trying to be subtle, at all. Quite the opposite, this timepiece goes all out, committing to the vintage aesthetic with various little etchings, engravings, inscriptions, patterns, you name the technique. The watch has undeniable style, we can probably agree there, from the Spoondrift carved case to the pompous crown.

Fashion accessory? Sure, but a practical one too. To that end, the watch comes adopting two covers, so you can use them as kickstands and position this timepiece upright on any flat surface. The exhibition caseback hides the skeletonized dial, which, in turn, reveals the watch's smooth mechanical movement.

The acrylic window protects the dial but not as much as you'd expect because it is not as scratch-resistant as faces made with sapphires. Still, considering the price, the window is good enough. What's also good enough is the model's fluorescent hour and minute hands, making the markings readable even during nighttime.

Long story short, the TREEWETO Pocket Watch is not humble, not modest, not meek at all, and there's something attractive about that, something that makes you want to pay the more-than-reasonable price.

The SIBOSUN EA-HBH071 looks weathered and crude, rough and rustic, and we're not using these descriptions as negative statements, not one bit. You cannot tell that this product costs less than 25 bucks and was produced during this century. The timepiece looks more antique than most antiques, more vintage than even the most expensive vintage accessories.

Even more, the 12-little-window hollow case makes this watch unique and also allows you to tell the time without opening the case. That being said, the hands are thin and tiny, virtually impossible to see in most lighting conditions, so you'll have to open the case more often than not anyway.

On the bright side, the exhibition caseback and the watch's skeletonized dial reveals the most gorgeous bronze mechanisms inside this timepiece, making this product even more elegant.

Not unlike most pocket watches, the model's fitted with a steel chain and clasp but here, despite the modest price tag, they have been crafted from tough metals, so the clasp will not start giving out with time. Also, the finish makes these accessories and the case resistant to corrosion and fading.

Bottom line, the SIBOSUN EA-HBH071 has more character than most fashion accessories and about as much classic elegance yet costs less than most cheap watches.