Historical Perspectives: American Pocket Watches: A Primer For The Wristwatch Collector
John Cote is a professional photographer and watch collector living in Indianapolis, Indiana. HODINKEE welcomes his insights on the world of American pocket watches. – NM What should a wristwatch nerd know about American pocket watches and the industry that made them? In my opinion, from the late 1850s until just after WWII, the American watch industry produced more and probably better portable timekeeping machines than the rest of the world combined.I said portable timekeeping machines instead of watches, because during the same time the Swiss produced a lot of fabulous and technically amazing watches. The American watch industry primarily produced time-only watches while the Swiss made these, and also a lot of exquisitely complicated watches. What drove the American watch industry was the idea of producing tool watches for the masses. The founders of the industry were starting from scratch and they wanted to produce quality timepieces that the common man could afford. Ea

Pt ROO and friends at the NYC boutique
Stopped by the AP boutique and came away with a new respect for AP

AP Openworks Skeleton 15305ST.OO.1220ST.01
I decided my next piece is going to be the AP Openworks Skeleton --- preferably the steel with a bracelet and looking for early spring. Seems like these are not too easy to find. Any possible leads ... My decision is based on the fact that I have had this one on my short list for some time and it keeps growing on me. I do not own nothing like a skeleton.. My only other AP is the AP ROO Chrono so i am familiar with AP. Most of my pieces are Patek and I do not own any Rolex. I generally like a watch that has a few complications and this one is quite the opposite but it has visual activity and that is a turn on for me.

Nice Combo
What say you. Dose it work

New member seeking advice on first purchase
New member here and although I'm not a Rolex owner yet I'm looking to make my first purchase but of course it happens to be one of most popular watches Rolex makes. The GMT BLNR.I wish to make my first purchase from an AD and recently visited my local dealer here in the San Francisco Bay Area and although treated very well, he advised that he has a waiting list of 7 people for this watch which of course didn't surprise me. Because they only receive a few of these a year it looks like it'll be difficult to come by. Although I know it'll take time to find one, are there any suggestions as to the best way to ultimately get one with an AD? I thought about asking my AD to add me to his waiting list in the hope's that a few on the list my have found a watch elsewhere. Is it suggested that I visit several AD's here in the Bay Area and get on several different lists or is that frowned upon? As a side note, I have a previously scheduled vacation next month to Europe which includes Paris, Zurich