pocket watch

noun

plural pocket watches
: a portable timepiece designed to be carried in the pocket
… we fell for a circa 1890 … gentleman's pocket watch with a beautifully engraved case, a clear white face, and slender, elegant hands.Lynn Yaeger
His western-style shirt was topped with a dark pinstriped vest; the thick gold chain that draped across it ended in an ornate pocket watch.Linda Billington

Examples of pocket watch in a Sentence

Recent Examples on the Web
Examples are automatically compiled from online sources to show current usage. Read More Opinions expressed in the examples do not represent those of Merriam-Webster or its editors. Send us feedback.
In 1904, one of the wealthiest men in the world walked into Tiffany’s in New York and bought a Patek Philippe gold pocket watch. Richard Johnson, New York Daily News, 19 Apr. 2026 The record auction price for a piece of Titanic memorabilia is 1.56 million pounds (almost $2 million at the time) paid in 2024 for a gold pocket watch given to the captain of RMS Carpathia, the ship that rescued 700 Titanic survivors. Jill Lawless, Chicago Tribune, 19 Apr. 2026 In 2024, a gold pocket watch given to the captain of the RMS Carpathia — the ship that rescued more than 700 survivors — sold for 1.56 million pounds, or nearly $2 million at the time. Michael Sinkewicz, FOXNews.com, 19 Apr. 2026 In 2025, a collector paid a record price of over $2 million for a gold pocket watch linked to the Titanic. CBS News, 18 Apr. 2026 Ricochet pocket watch worn as a pendant on a black cord—befit her collector’s mindset. Talia Abbas, Vogue, 16 Apr. 2026 The Nomade transforms from a pocket watch into a table clock and features a movement skeletonized entirely by hand using a traditional hacksaw. Paige Reddinger, Robb Report, 14 Apr. 2026 The watch is powered by a manually wound mechanical movement and boasts a hinged case back (much like a pocket watch) that opens to reveal a sapphire crystal and a stunning view of the complex movement. Roberta Naas, Forbes.com, 14 Apr. 2026 Part pocket watch, part carriage clock, the Établisseurs Nomade is one of an inaugural trio of creations springing from Audemars Piguet’s Atelier des Établisseurs, which is dedicated to remarkable timepieces rooted in collaboration and rare traditional crafts. Martino Carrera, Footwear News, 3 Sep. 2019

Word History

First Known Use

1637, in the meaning defined above

Time Traveler
The first known use of pocket watch was in 1637

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Cite this Entry

“Pocket watch.” Merriam-Webster.com Dictionary, Merriam-Webster, https://www.merriam-webster.com/dictionary/pocket%20watch. Accessed 29 Apr. 2026.

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