When you open a pocket watch, you can see its movement at work. As you see how the wheels turn, you would appreciate every single ticking sound even more.

Different pocket watch makes have different ways of opening them. We teach you how to open your pocket watch back safely with these easy steps.

Ideally, opening a pocket watch is not recommended but as long as you are careful, you can not damage the pocket watch's precision movement. If you are not too sure of your skills, better bring your pocket watch to a horologist.

The pocket watch case and the pocket watch movement

The pocketwatch casing and its watch mechanism (or movement), are two separate parts. They can even be purchased separately.

Sometimes, low pocket watch movement grades are housed inside expensive pocket watch cases. For this reason, information about the pocket watch movement is stamped on its mechanism and not on its case.

What information can I find on the pocket watch movement?

•    The pocket watch serial number. The pocket watch's manufacturing date corresponds to the serial number on the movement

•    The pocket watch movement grade.

•    If the pocket watch has been adjusted. Adjusted pocket watches are stamped with "Adjusted" on the movement

•    The name or logo of the pocket watch maker. Sometimes, the factory location is also included.

•    The jewel number. Though not found in most pocket watch brands, the jewel count corresponds to how many friction jewels are embedded within the movement. A railroad pocket watch has at least 17 jewels.

What things should I know before I open my pocket watch?

Each type of pocket watch case has a specific way to open. So the first step should be identifying your pocket watch type.

The pocket watch anatomy should be familiarized first. Each pocket watch brand has its own pocket watch opener; these are small blunt knives with thin blades.

However, not all pocket watches are opened with a pocket watch knife. Make sure you see a little “lip” or depression on the pocket watch casing where the dull blade should go.

If your pocket watch does not have any, it is opened in another manner. Do not attempt to pry it with a pocketwatch opener or else you might damage the timepiece.

When you close the pocket watch case, do not push from center of the back cover. Gold pocket watches tend to be softer around the midsection and they tend to sag or dent. Instead, apply pressure around the rim of the pocket watch back.

What are the ways to open a pocket watch casing?

Here are the common popular pocket watch cases and the ways to open them.

Opening a screw on bezel and back pocket watch case

The most popular type of pocket watch case I like a set of Tupperware lids that snap on together. You can see two fine lines running horizontally on the pocket watch’s width: the first line is where the body of the pocket watch case meets with the bezel (the ring that holds the pocket watch glass); and the second line is where the pocketwatch cover fuses with its body casing.

To open a screw on back and bezel pocketwatch casing, hold the pocket watch face down on your non-dominant hand. The winding stem or stump is set against your thumb. With your dominant hand, firmly grasp the back of the pocket watch case and unscrew in a counter-clockwise motion. Apply some pressure while turning

Waltham pocket watches usually have screw on bezel and back pocketwatch casings.

How to open a hinged back and bezel pocket watch case

When you run your fingers along the sides of the pocket watch case and you feel tiny bulges, at closer inspection, you will see they are actually two small hinges under the six o’clock position.

Opposite the hinges are “lips” to help you pry open the hinged back and bezel pocket watch casing. This is where a pocket watch knife comes in handy. Never use a sharp knife to open a hinged bezel and back pocketwatch for you could scratch the surface.

When opening a hunter pocket watch case

Hunter pocket watches are the most common designs in ladies pendant pocket watches.

To open a hunter case pocketwatch, look for a protruding “lip” at the back of the timepiece. Using a pocketwatch knife, pry it open in a gentle twisting motion. Once the outer back cover has been opened, do not be surprised to see another cover beneath it. The second one is called the dust cover or the cuvette.
To open the hunter pocket watch dust cover, insert the thin blade of the pocketwatch knife to where the cover and the body casing meet. The cuvette will easily pop open.

How to open a swing ring or swing out pocket watch case

The swing ring pocket watch case was designed to keep the casing dust-free. In contrary to the screw on bezel and back pocketwatch case which has two lines running along the side of the casing, a swing out pocket watch case has only one line; this is where the bezel and the pocket watch casing fuses.

Unscrew the bezel counter-clockwise to expose the dial. You will see a small indentation below the six o’clock position. With your fingernail or blunt knife, lift the pocket watch movement at same time pulling up the crown.

Even if the movement “swings out”, it is kept in place with a small hinge anchored to the case ring. When you return the swing ring pocket watch case, do not forget to push back the crown.

Opening a bulldog pocket watch case

A what? Ironically, North American Watch Company (NAWCO) gave a queer name to an elegant pocket watch. Bull dog case pocket watches are hard to find today.

If you find one, you will surely guess it is a screw on back and bezel case. But when you open a NAWCO bulldog pocket watch, you might be surprised to see a cuvette, the secondary back cover found in hunter case pocket watches. Simply lift the dust cover to open.