The pocket watch or pocket timepiece traces its historical origins back to November 1562. A letter from this date, written by the Italian watchmaker Bartholomew Manfredi, has been found, in which he offers a pocket clock to Marquis of Mantua Federico Gonzaga to whom the letter was addressed.

Peter Henlein, a locksmith and watchmaker from Nuremberg, is said to have been the inventor of the skeleton watch with gears. To this day, this remains uncertain. He was indeed the first German craftsman to successfully create a pendant timepiece.

The first vintage mechanical pocket watch was an old pocket watch for suits and quite large compared to those of today. At the time, it was a significant advancement to be able to miniaturize all the technology present in a large clock.

Associated with technical progress, the silver and gold pocket watch was adopted by many innovators and entrepreneurs. The skeleton watch with gears notably recalls the emancipation of railways in the 19th century.

The railway workers were also provided with a specific small pocket, made by Levi Strauss, inside the front pocket of their jeans, to hold and protect this famous watch with a visible mechanism, bearing the eponymous name of pocket watch.

It should be noted that following this technological advancement, this new horological approach became the most widespread pocket watch style until the 20th century.