Any man can wear a wristwatch, but it takes a special gentleman to understand the merits of owning a pocket watch.

Wristwatches dominate the world of timepieces today. But, the distinguished precursor to the wristwatch, the pocket watch, gave birth to the wristwatch. The first wristwatch, made by Patek Philippe in 1868, graced the royal personage of Countess Koscowicz of Hungary. Still, men found putting a small timepiece on their wrist too feminine; it was like wearing women’s jewelry. Real men abreast of the current fashion owned a pocket watch.

The pocket watch ruled the portable horology world for about 50 years from the 1880’s – 1920’s. In actuality, the wristwatch came about during World War I. Soldiers found it inconvenient not to mention dangerous to pull out their pocket watch to check the time while they were in the trenches. As they say, necessity is the mother of invention. Soldiers jerry-rigged their pocket watches to fit on their wrists via cupped leather straps. Soldered wire loops replaced the cupped leather straps and wire loops later gave way to the lug. Thus, men found their way into turning the watch into a masculine item.

Fashion has always been a fickle mistress. She favors one thing only to toss it aside for another, and then through her tricky wiles, reaches back to bless one of her original favorites. So it is with the pocket watch. Though wristwatches are still the predominant choice, especially for a first watch, pocket watches have made a comeback. You can find many brands putting them back into production. And, it’s obvious why. A pocket watch makes quite a statement when pulled out of a pocket or removed from a vest pocket on a fob and chain. It can turn any man into a dandy and a representative of fine taste, setting him apart from the crowd.

Catorex 182.1.1678.420 Armand Cattin Pocket Watch

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Catorex is a brand that knows pocket watches. Since the company’s founding in 1858, it has been a specialty of the house. Currently Catorex produces 20 models ranging from traditional to modern interpretations. The Armand Cattin Stainless Steel Sunray Sub-Seconds Mechanical Hand-Wind Pocket Watch is a more traditional style. In a stainless steel hunter case, which means it has a lid, the pocket watch is a time only model with sweeping sub-seconds at 6 o’clock. The sleek silver sunray dial features stylized hour markers that add solid character.

Catorex wisely chose to put a mechanical hand-wind movement, the ETA 6498, in the Armand Cattin, keeping in tradition with a pocket watch’s roots. This solid and stately pocket watch comes in a 53 mm diameter and 14 mm profile that fits comfortably in the palm of the hand.

Catorex 182.1.1678.420 Men’s Armand Cattin Stainless Steel Sunray Sub-Seconds Mechanical Hand-Wind Pocket Watch

Key features:

• Swiss made timepiece
• ETA 6498 mechanical hand-wind movement
• Round silver sunray dial, sweeping sub-seconds
• Mineral crystal
• Stainless steel case with cover, diameter 53 mm, thickness 14 mm
• Stationary stainless steel bezel
• 2-year manufacturer’s warranty

About Gevril Group

Gevril Group, watchmaker and wholesale watch distributor, is the exclusive U.S. agent for exquisitely designed and crafted European luxury and fashion watch brands, distributing and servicing some of the best affordable luxury and Swiss watches and trendy fashion watches. Gevril Group also operates a full-service watch repair, staffed by master Swiss watchmakers. Contact Gevril Group by email or by calling 845-425-9882.

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Bare Bones: Catorex Men’s Armand Cattin Mechanical Hand-Wind Sterling Exhibition Pocket Watch

Although you might not have heard the name Catorex floating around horology circles, they in fact are a Swiss company with roots dating back to the late 18th century when Georges Ignace Cattin starting making watches. Since then, the company has stayed in the family, passing down through generations. The director, Guy A. Cattin, represents the 6th generation in charge of this independent company.

Due to the fashion of the day, Catorex mostly focuses on men’s watches but pocket watches have a special place in their heart, since this timepiece is where it all began. While current brands that make pocket watches only have a few in the catalogue, Catorex has 20, a strong indication of their commitment to this bygone era when railroads were the main form of transportation, skyscrapers pierced the skies and speakeasies were all the rage with the likes of Zelda and F. Scott Fitzgerald dancing the nights away.

But quite recently, the pocket watch has made a comeback. Once the discarded and stodgy grandfather to the wristwatch, the pocket watch has regained respect among the upstart whippersnapper watches.

Catorex 183.2.1679.000 Armand Cattin Pocket Watch

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Skeletonized pocket watches are a special category of the genre. Not only are they difficult to execute, they reveal the beauty of the movement. Skeleton watches are different than open-faced watches, which are made to show parts of the mechanics below. A skeleton watch starts with an existing movement that is then altered through the cutting away of the plate, bars and bridges to create a beautiful design. Oftentimes they are also engraved.

In their original form, the bridges and main plate of the movement are strong and stable. Skeletonizing makes them more fragile and if it isn’t done correctly then the movement loses its function and will fail or break. Usually 60- 70 % of the material in the movement is cut away. It’s a dangerous game of knowing how much to leave and how much to remove because like an enamel watch, mistakes result in putting the piece in the trash heap and starting again.

In the Armand Cattin Sterling Roman Numerals Exhibition Pocket Watch, Catorex gets it just right, presenting a lovely design that also allows for appreciation of the mechanics working below. The watch comes cased in a sturdy and pure 925 silver case without a cover, which is referred to as a Lepine case. Those with a cover are called Hunter. The dial is a nice balance of modern style skeletonization with a complementary nod to the traditional with the Roman numerals circling a guilloche ring.

A hand wind movement, a must in a skeletonized watch so you can see the dance of the escapement ticking away, powers the Armand Cattin Sterling Roman Numerals Exhibition Pocket Watch. The exhibition back allows a view of the back of the movement, giving double the visual enjoyment.

Catorex 183.2.1679.000 Men’s Armand Cattin Mechanical Hand-Wind Sterling Silver Roman Numerals Exhibition Pocket Watch

Key features:

• Swiss made timepiece
• Swiss mechanical hand-wind movement
• 925 sterling silver case without cover, diameter 52 mm, thickness 9 mm
• Skeletonized sterling silver dial, exhibition caseback
• Durable mineral crystal
• Stationary stainless steel bezel
• 2-year manufacturer’s warranty

About Gevril Group

Gevril Group, watchmaker and wholesale watch distributor, is the exclusive U.S. agent for exquisitely designed and crafted European luxury and fashion watch brands, distributing and servicing some of the best affordable luxury and Swiss watches and trendy fashion watches. Gevril Group also operates a full-service watch repair, staffed by master Swiss watchmakers. Contact Gevril Group by email or by calling 845-425-9882.

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The result was a complete line of fine mechanical timepieces that maintained the traditional high standards that Swiss watchmakers were famous for, while providing the style and good looks that today’s customers demand.

The Catorex Chrono Sport Automatic Black Dial Chronograph, a part of the company’s new 1858 Collection, offers some very compelling reasons to wear a Catorex watch on your own wrist. This sporty, sophisticated timepiece features a handsome black dial with three easy-to-read sub dials for timing events. The orange luminous hands and numbers provide a perfect complement to the black calfskin strap with its distinctive hand stitched orange accents.

This spectacular timepiece is powered by a precision Swiss made ETA 7750 movement that is engineered to provide years of reliable service. With a scratch resistant genuine sapphire crystal and a 316L stainless steel case that is water resistant to 330 feet, this watch is ready for anything.

Catorex Cattin Watchmakers have been making high quality mechanical watches in Switzerland’s Jura region since 1785. They’ve put everything they’ve learned from generations of watchmaking into the development of a brand new generation of fine timepieces.

If you’d like to experience what it means to own fine Catorex watch yourself, look for an authorized Catorex dealer and reserve your Chrono Sport Automatic Luminous Black Dial Chronograph today.

Catorex Mens 138.1.8169.320-BR Chrono Sport Automatic Luminous Black Dial Chronograph Watch

List Price: $3,025

• Swiss ETA 7750 automatic chronograph date movement
• Black dial, sub-second dial, luminous hands and numbers
• Mineral crystal
• 18 kt gold plated brass case, diameter 42 mm, thickness 14 mm
• Stationary tachymeter bezel
• Black calfskin band with deployment buckle, width 20 mm
• Water resistant to 330 feet

About Gevril Group

Gevril Group, watchmaker and wholesale watch distributor, is the exclusive U.S. agent for exquisitely designed and crafted European luxury and fashion watch brands, distributing and servicing some of the best affordable luxury and Swiss watches and trendy fashion watches. Gevril Group also operates a full-service watch repair, staffed by master Swiss watchmakers. Contact Gevril Group by email or by calling 845-425-9882.

Join the conversation! Follow Gevril Group on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Please subscribe to the Gevril Group newsletter and blog.

What travelers are really looking for in a GMT watch.

Catorex Cattin Watchmakers perfected the mechanical timepiece before most of us were born. For five generations, this family owned company has made a fine art out of developing and refining the wristwatch in the heart of Switzerland’s famous watchmaking Jura region. Catorex watches haven’t always been well known, but Guy Catorex, who runs the company today, is changing all that with his commitment to creating a whole new generation of mechanical watches that have been adapted to the personality, taste and needs of today’s sophisticated consumer.

Catorex timepieces exemplify the very best of the Swiss watchmaker’s art, along with a new sensibility that is totally attuned to the needs of today’s modern world. Catorex watches are beautifully made, completely reliable, and styled for today’s customers.

Catorex Mens Voyager 3 Automatic GMT watch provides a perfect example of the company’s commitment to adapting generations of watchmaking expertise to meet the personality, taste and needs of today’s sophisticated consumer.

This fabulous watch is easy-to-read in any light and even easier to enjoy. It couldn’t be easier for travelers to keep track of the time, wherever they happen to be. A rotating 24-hour bezel with distinctive engraved numbers encircles a second 24-hour chapter ring to make changing times zones easy and intuitive. The inner 24-hour dial features bright yellow lettering, so the second time zone will never be confused with the local time display. The four-hand GMT watch features a date window at 3 o’clock, along with a spectacular black, carbon-fiber dial that accentuates the bold, easy-to-read numbers.

This is a watch for today that is still manufactured using the traditional watchmaking skills that have been perfected for generations in Switzerland’s famous watch valley. The distinctive 41mm stainless steel watch is powered by a precision ETA 2893-2 Swiss-made automatic movement. It has a scratch resistant sapphire crystal, a glass exhibition style screw down back, and is water resistant to 330 feet.

If you’d like to experience what it means to own fine Catorex watch yourself, look for an authorized Catorex dealer and reserve your Voyager 3 Automatic GMT timepiece today.

Catorex Mens 128.1.8164.321-BM Voyager 3 Automatic Luminous Black Dial Watch

List Price: $2,775

• Swiss ETA 2893-2 automatic date movement
• Black dial with second hand, date, luminous hands and numbers
• Stainless steel bezel with 24 hour display
• Antireflective sapphire crystal
• Stainless steel exhibition case with screw down crown, diameter 41 mm, thickness 12 mm
• Silver stainless steel band, width 20 mm, fold over clasp with double push button safety
• Water resistant to 330 feet

About Gevril Group

Gevril Group, watchmaker and wholesale watch distributor, is the exclusive U.S. agent for exquisitely designed and crafted European luxury and fashion watch brands, distributing and servicing some of the best affordable luxury and Swiss watches and trendy fashion watches. Gevril Group also operates a full-service watch repair, staffed by master Swiss watchmakers. Contact Gevril Group by email or by calling 845-425-9882.

Join the conversation! Follow Gevril Group on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Please subscribe to the Gevril Group newsletter and blog.

Catorex has almost singlehandedly brought pocket watches back from obscurity and made them popular again. These handsome timepieces definitely aren’t the same watch your grandfather used to wear. They incorporate modern, precision Swiss made movements, engineered to provide years of reliable service. The company currently offers six different pocket watch collections, with 45 different models from the traditional to the avant-garde.

The popular Les Breuleux Automatic White Dial model provides a good example of why Catorex pocket watches have become so popular. This traditionally styled 49mm watch features a spectacular hunter style 18k gold plated brass case with a handsome white enamel dial and delicate traditional hands. The watch is powered by a reliable automatic 17-jewel incabloc movement that will provide years of trouble-free service. The watch comes with a matching 18k gold plated watch fob and is equipped with a durable mineral glass crystal. For discriminating traditionalists, this watch provides the experience of wearing your grandfather’s watch with none of the hassles of keeping an antique watch running.

Guy Cattin, the family’s current owner, has made a commitment to creating a new generation of mechanical watches that have been adapted to the personality, taste and needs of today’s sophisticated consumer.

If you would like to experience what it means to own fine Catorex pocket watch yourself, look for an authorized Catorex dealer and reserve your Les Breuleux Automatic White Dial today.

Catorex Mens 171.6.1634.110 Les Breuleux Automatic White Dial Swiss Pocket Watch

List Price: $1,375

• Automatic movement
• White dial, sub-second dial, minute track
• Mineral crystal
• 18 kt gold plated brass case, 49 mm diameter, 13.5 mm thickness
• Stationary brass bezel
• Etched floral design on covers
• Water resistant to 330 feet

About Gevril Group

Gevril Group, watchmaker and wholesale watch distributor, is the exclusive U.S. agent for exquisitely designed and crafted European luxury and fashion watch brands, distributing and servicing some of the best affordable luxury and Swiss watches and trendy fashion watches. Gevril Group also operates a full-service watch repair, staffed by master Swiss watchmakers. Contact Gevril Group by email or by calling 845-425-9882.

Join the conversation! Follow Gevril Group on Facebook, Twitter and LinkedIn. Please subscribe to the Gevril Group newsletter and blog.