Pocket Watches with PC

[Troglodyte]

No watch with evening clothes rule is an entirely new one to me...

I wonder if the thinking behind it is a development of not looking at your watch, as this suggests you have rudely mismanaged your social calendar. It says you are looking for the earliest opportunity to give your hostess the slip, so you can rush off and disappoint another by being late. Not the done thing at all, old chap.

Pocket watches are generally considered smarter than the wrist-watch, and with evening clothes they are regularly seen (and always have been) here in the UK. His cufflinks and watch-chain are just about the only items of jewelry a man is permitted by convention, but he is free to indulge himself.

As 'silver' buttons have been the form with Highland dress for generations, a silver watch and chain would seem the obvious choice, and why not? For form's sake, his cufflinks ought to be the same metal - although there are some that (mistakenly) subscribe to the silver for daytime, only gold for evening rule.

Discretion is the name of the game here, and a fine chain (no-one will ever see your watch, but they might catch a glimpse of the cigar-cutter you keep on the other end of the chain, when you call it into action after the loyal toast) of discrete superior quality is probably your safest bet. If your grandfather has forgotten to leave you one in his will, or it's already gone to a cousin, you will find that antique shops are full of unwanted watch-chains being sold at about their scrap-metal value. And the choice is wide and varied.

The same is true for watches themselves. A jewelled Swiss movement in a hunter or half-hunter case with machine-turned decoration, that keeps time to within a couple of seconds a week, can be bought for less than you might pay for a Chinese-made quartz wristwatch - and there are plenty of specialist antique watch dealers selling online.

The proportions of evening waistcoats tend not to lend themselves well to the single-strand chain with T-bar pendant arrangement, but they do look good. The long, single-strand chain that reaches from one pocket to the other, that gives a pleasing drape to the chain, has long been a favourite. An alternaltive is for the chaing to be looped around one of the waistcoat buttons to produce a similar effect but with two drapes.

Go for it..!

[Touchstone]

I wonder if the thinking behind it is a development of not looking at your watch, as this suggests you have rudely mismanaged your social calendar. It says you are looking for the earliest opportunity to give your hostess the slip, so you can rush off and disappoint another by being late. Not the done thing at all, old chap.

Exactly so.

[TheVintageLibertine]

No watch with evening clothes rule is an entirely new one to me...

I wonder if the thinking behind it is a development of not looking at your watch, as this suggests you have rudely mismanaged your social calendar. It says you are looking for the earliest opportunity to give your hostess the slip, so you can rush off and disappoint another by being late. Not the done thing at all, old chap.

…

That is precisely what old etiquette guides say; wearing any watch with formally wear implies there’s somewhere you’d rather be.

I don’t own a pocket watch, but I am a “watch guy,” and so disregard the old advise. For formal wear, I’ve alway felt silver-colored watches harmonize better with a black and white color palate—and especially Scottish formal wear because the silver metal buttons on most doublets and coatees.

[Troglodyte]

That is precisely what old etiquette guides say; wearing any watch with formally wear implies there’s somewhere you’d rather be.

I don’t own a pocket watch, but I am a “watch guy,” and so disregard the old advise. For formal wear, I’ve alway felt silver-colored watches harmonize better with a black and white color palate—and especially Scottish formal wear because the silver metal buttons on most doublets and coatees.

Agree entirely.

I have had a life-long passion for watches of all kinds, and my childhood memories are filled with disappointment after watches I have taken apart and put back together failed to work ever again.

I have learnt leave that sort of thing to those who know what they are doing...

Although I have a few nice examples, I am unable to wear a wrist-watch for any length of time - less than a day - without it causing irritation to my skin, so I have been a user of pocket watches for all occasions most of my adult life.

Consequently, I have acquired a collection of both gold and silver watches of different styles, with chains to match. Although gold is a smarter and richer metal, I think the fine graduated size silver curb chain I reserve for evening wear sits handsomely on my usual evening waistcoat. With the watch in one pocket and the accessory in the other, the chain forms a gentle swag of silver across the two vertical rows of buttons on the waistcoat, echoing the drape of the sporran chain.

The alternative is a king's pattern single strand long chain that loops around one waistcoat pocket as it goes from one pocket to another, and that gives a very old-fashioned look.

If I have left off the waistcoat, the watch usually hangs from a strap or chain from the lapel button hole, and sits in the breast pocket. A style neer out of place with the kilt, I feel.

One way to find out the time for yourself without breaking etiquette rules, is to offer to tell the time to anyone who may need it, saying something like "If anyone has a train to catch, or they're waiting to hear the result of the 3:15 at Longchamp, it's now 3:27. How do you think your horse did..?"

[kingandrew]

I will also confess to wearing my pocket watch with my Prince Charlie. The vest pockets are perfectly suited to it, and I have never been criticized for it. Admittedly, few men today seem to have much knowledge about black tie etiquette, and those that do are still unlikely to be familiar with kilt-wearing. Most folks are pretty impressed with the kilt itself, not to mention the sporran and argyle hose--so they never comment on the watch.

Andrew

[TNScotsman]

This has been a great conversation! I ended up going with a silver chain. Somehow my tis was a bit crooked in the photo and the chain had shifted, likely victims of the scarf and topcoat needed on an absolutely frigid Christmas Eve.
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Note, I'm wearing bottle green hose, they just look black because of the lighting in the picture.

[Panache]

I'm one of those who do not wear a timepiece of any sort with Black Tie.

It seems that those who do wear a pocket watch do not wear it to tell the time but to show off their watch chain and fob. I used to wear a watch chain but these days try to keep Black Tie as simple and elegant as possible so pare down the accessories as much as I can.

I agree with Steve.

At a formal event, unless you are an organizer, why do you need a timepiece? The presence of one sort of indicates there are other things you have to do instead of being in the moment of the formal event.

Cheers

Jamie

[BadenochWolf]

At a formal event, unless you are an organizer, why do you need a timepiece? The presence of one sort of indicates there are other things you have to do instead of being in the moment of the formal event.

Hear, hear!

[Troglodyte]

The trouble with evening waistcoats, is that they are cut lower on the breast and higher at the waist than their day-time cousins, and so there is limited space to hang a watch-chain with the desired degree of panache.

My pictures show some options with both a single- and double-breasted waistcoat, and with single- and double-strand chains.

They illustrate how a long single strand chain can be looped around one of the buttons for security while forming a pleasing drape that echoes that of the sporran chain, and draping from pocket to pocket without the loop.

Another option is the double-strand chain which is held in place by a T-bar passed through a suitable button-hole, and this allows for a decorative fob or medallion, but these really require more frontage than an evening waistcoat provides.

The shorter, single-strand chain of graduated links, is probably the simplest and best option as the reduced amount of chain is easier to accommodate and it is more discrete.

There was a time when watch-chains were readily available specifically for evening use, and these tended to be much finer and with ornate links - and on a white waistcoat with white tie and tails, these can look superb. But with Highland dress, which tends to be bolder and sturdier than other kinds, a watch-chain that is in balance with the rest of the outfit and that tones with the buttons is probably the best choice.

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[piperalpha]

The trouble with evening waistcoats, is that they are cut lower on the breast and higher at the waist than their day-time cousins, and so there is limited space to hang a watch-chain with the desired degree of panache.

My pictures show some options with both a single- and double-breasted waistcoat, and with single- and double-strand chains.

They illustrate how a long single strand chain can be looped around one of the buttons for security while forming a pleasing drape that echoes that of the sporran chain, and draping from pocket to pocket without the loop.

Another option is the double-strand chain which is held in place by a T-bar passed through a suitable button-hole, and this allows for a decorative fob or medallion, but these really require more frontage than an evening waistcoat provides.

The shorter, single-strand chain of graduated links, is probably the simplest and best option as the reduced amount of chain is easier to accommodate and it is more discrete.

There was a time when watch-chains were readily available specifically for evening use, and these tended to be much finer and with ornate links - and on a white waistcoat with white tie and tails, these can look superb. But with Highland dress, which tends to be bolder and sturdier than other kinds, a watch-chain that is in balance with the rest of the outfit and that tones with the buttons is probably the best choice.

What kind of Jacket is with the double breasted Tartan waistcoat. I’m quite taken with the pairing