CHARLES-HUBERT PARISCharles Hubert 3850 Mechanical Picture Frame Pocket Watch

These do not seem to be very popular these days since they are quite hard to find in physical stores. From the looking around I did, only about 1 in 6 stores that sell watches (I'm mean jewellery type stores) seem to carry any pocket watches at all. I'm twenty-three so my generation is not too interested in these, but I have an interest in Steam Punk and I'm a student of Mechanical Engineering, so the idea of a purely mechanically operated watch fascinates me. In an age were everything is digital, everything has become so simple. Not that I'm saying electronics and programming are simple. Trust me, they aren't. I mean, visually it isn't very impressive. The complexity involved in a watch such as this is quite intriguing, and every bit of its complexity is physical in nature and can be seen. This watch shows off its inner mechanics for people to see the ingenuity required of those who worked with older technologies. Many people don't realize how smart people had to be hundreds of years ago to develop such a device that we now take for granted. I know it might seem silly, but to a person such as myself, who has grown up in a world where everything is powered by either batteries or an outlet, it fascinates me to be able to hold a device that can keep time with out an single watt of electricity, but purely mechanical energy held in a spring. I love the idea that I'll never have to put a battery in this. The watch itself is very nice. Its chrome finish looks just as nice as it does in the picture. I plan on having the front cover engraved, and the picture frame on the inside of it is pretty cool because I can put whatever image I want in there and change it out when feel the urge to. The face of the watch is quite nice, and very easy to read. Just as I had to get used to reading an analog watch face when I first started carrying a pocket watch, I'll now have to get used to the Roman numerals, but the Roman numerals look much nicer than regular Arabic numbers, so it seems like a good trade off. The pocket watch has a nice heavy feel to it that my quartz based pocket watch lacked. This makes it feel more substantial and reminds you that it is indeed a mechanical watch. Also, the hands glow in the dark, but they only glow after being exposed to light. I have to admit that this doesn't seem like the most useful feature being that it's a pocket watch. This works great with wrist watches since the face is exposed to daylight, but pocket watches are covered until you need them, which means that it is unlikely that the hands will have been exposed to light before you look at it. Regardless, it's a nice feature to have. Using tritium might have made more sense since it is slightly radioactive (and also harmless), and therefore, it does not need light to begin glowing, but I guess that would cost more. That doesn't really matter to me since I wanted this for its mechanical beauty. I also wanted if for its aesthetics and the ability to engrave it. The only issue with it is that you should make sure to put a picture in the frame, because the glass window that holds it down is free to rotate out of place if there is nothing behind it. If you fully wind it (30-40 half turns), it last a little longer than twenty-four hours (NEVER over wind it, you could break or strain the spring). I have not counted how long it actually last per half turn, but one shouldn't have to worry about it running out during the day as long it is wound each day. This is a great pocket watch, and I'm very happy with it.

I ordered this pocket watch for my husband's birthday last June 11th and he loved it. He keeps on telling me to ask him what time is it just so he could show off his new beautiful time piece hahaha... He was so astonished how it looked great in person. Looks like it is pretty well made, the chain doesn't look cheap either, easy to tell the time and so far keeping up with the time. A plus is it came with a very elegant box. It made it more nice looking when he put a picture of me ;-) The stand behind it is great, it keeps the watch in upright position however, when opened, does not stay upright. So the stand doesn't make sense. It should hold the watch in place while open so it's easier to tell the time. Aside from this, everything looks great.update sept 11, 2016 I wound it up only 10 half turns and the stem won't catch after turning it, not a broken spring, I can see that, but still broken. I will send it back to the maker to have it fixed. i'll update this later on that

Watch looks nice. Cool to see inner works of time piece. First one was broken. Would not wind. Second one, picture kick stand broke after first day. And only keeps correct time for 3 hours at best. It has worked for 12 hours but only a few times. I expect quality workmanship, but after I learned more, come to find it has Chinese movement. The only reason I have kept it is due to the hoops I had to jump through to return it, and it was a gift from my wife, two boys and mother. So all in all it is a waste of time, pun intended, and a waste of money. Buy Swiss movement, or early American pocket watches.

I'm on the fence after owning this timepiece for a few years.The fit and finish on the case and the picture bezel is excellent. The watch rattled until I actually put a portrait cut-out from photo paper into the picture bezel.Other than that, this is a handsome 17 jewel timepiece that kept amazing time. It only drifted +-1 minute in 24 Hrs. Easily correctable with daily winding and setting.Over a few years:The silver finish surface is scratch and wear prone. It took about half a year for knicks and scratches and handing/pocket wear and tear to expose the brass metal under the "silver" plating.About a year after it started showing "character", the winding crown wouldn't "Catch" as you tried to wind it. It would spring back at you when the pawl that holds to going barrel simply slipped. If it caught you off guard when almost wound up, it will surprise you! But slow, gentle winds eventually got the watch topped up.Then the crown simply pulled all the way out one day when I was resetting the watch. After re-insertion, it still winds (almost) normally and I can still set the time. I haven't repeated that issue since.Now, currently, something inside is either dried out or sticky. You can wind it up, set the time....let it run......set it down. It takes *DAAAAAAYYYYS* to run down now. It often just "stalls" then simply starts again at will.I've likely gotten one that was just built on a Friday. I've since ordered a different skeleton watch - again, not too expensive but apparently pretty well rated as a replacement. I'll review that one after it's had a few miles.This watch was amazing straight out of the box. My ownership and years however weren't kind on it and it's suffering now. :(