Origami Girl

Thursday 21 February 2013

In which time is beautiful


 In my last post I was wearing a pocket watch necklace, and this is the pair-post to share a little bit of the story behind it. I didn't draw too much attention to it last week, but it is in fact one of my most worn and beloved of pieces. I even took it to the Antiques Roadshow! This is because it is a genuine Victorian pocket watch transformed into a necklace for every day wear.
I want to say something like 'my parents are really into antiques' but that makes them sound all official and posh. It's more a love of not getting rid of things has passed on in my family. Meaning that no one thought to remove a collection of slide rules, copies of the Odyssey or pocket watches. So we have a lot of family heirlooms. One of which is this ladies pocket watch.
I can't even say that it was ceremoniously passed on to me. The manner in which it came to my possession was typical of my family. I was building up a steam punk femme-Indiana Jones outfit for a party. It needed a pocket watch and Dad produced this one. Not a modern one or the least loved of the collection, he just chose that moment to say 'have this'.

It is from the 1890s, a ladies watch, still working, still has it's original box and original key. Both the back and the front clock face open up and it has such beautiful patterns on the back and inside. Sadly Dad doesn't know who it belonged to. He just knows that his father collected pocket watches so we are not sure if it originally came from the family or not, but I hope so. I absolutely love it to bits. And then just at Christmas Dad gave me another one! So now maybe I am developing my own version of my grandfather's collection after all.

 The guy from the Antiques Roadshow liked both the pieces we showed him and most of all loved that they were used all the time rather than just kept away like so many other antiques he must see.




I really enjoyed photographing and sharing my pocket watch. If this was interesting to you I have a bunch of other family antiques that I could share with you? I hinted at least one other from my trip to the tv set.

7 comments:

  1. I love pocket watches and was going to ask about that watch in your last post so I'm very glad you shared it with us. What a treasure! And lucky you - you got two real vintage ones! They are both gorgeous watches - family heirlooms are so special.

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  2. These watches are beautiful! Especially that first one - is has it's own key! I recently got a pocket watch from my paternal grandmother in law, it was my great great grandfather's, it had engravings inside that said it was from 1906, and it's as good as new (still ticking!) And came in a gorgeous leather case. Though unfortunately too big and heavy to wear as a necklace. I'd love to see some more of your family antiques.

    You look lovely in the post below, I was sure I commented on it, but it mustn't have worked.

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  3. How fabulous to have a family heirloom though even if it wasn't really "posh." I love the story of it and its key!

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  4. Wow wow wow, what a beautiful piece. I am borderline obsessive when it comes to pocket watches - they are amazing!

    x
    Lost in the Haze: A Fashion Photography Blog

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  5. Even if it may not have belonged to a lady in your family, this pocket watch is absolutely beautiful and the fact that it's been passed on through generations makes it so much more special :)
    xox,
    Cee

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  6. OMG! It's fantastic:)

    Check out my blog: http://theprintedsea.blogspot.de/

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  7. Omg, this is amazing! I love such vintage stuff *_*
    http://coeursdefoxes.blogspot.com/

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