Pocket watches, popular in the mid-20th century, were once the standard men’s watches. There have been pocket watches for many years. It served as the portable watch before wristwatches gained popularity in the middle of the 20th century. Pocket watches have survived despite wristwatches predominating the market.

In fact, it appears to have established itself in a specific market. Nothing quite compares to the elegance of the pocket watch, so it shouldn’t be surprising. This complex piece of equipment simply fascinates people, including myself.

The introduction of smartwatches provoked discussion. Why not a smart version of pocket watches if there is a smart version of wristwatches? Is there such a thing as a smart watch? Where might I find one? How should I dress one up? And some of the questions we hope to address in this guide are those listed above.

The most normal thing is that this type of watch is round. However, through the different decorative motifs or the engravings on the covers, it is usually given a more ornate and handmade touch. However, one of the trends that are seeing a lot is that of simplicity in design.

A pocket watch is a small, portable clock that fits in a pocket. Men’s pocket watches were the norm before wristwatches gained popularity in the middle of the 20th century. A more modern version of the traditional pocket watch is the smart pocket watch. It is much more than just a timepiece.

It can be used to place calls, read messages, and, in some circumstances, record videos. Heart rate monitoring and sleep pattern monitoring are possible additional features. It resembles a smartwatch but instead of a strap, it has a chain.

A product can only be considered a smart pocket watch if, upon first glance, it reminds you of a conventional pocket watch. Consequently, you use your smartphone to check the time while keeping it in your pocket, your smartphone is not a smart pocket watch.

The First Smart Pocket Watch

The problem with smart pocket watches is that they are a very specialized market. Simply put, it is not as well-liked as its wrist-mounted cousin, the smart watch. Therefore, there isn’t a lot of information online. There are no trustworthy sources available that can tell you who created the first smart pocket watch or what it looks like.

My research revealed that Tokyo Flash launched a number of touch-screen LED pocket watches under the Kisai brand in the early 2010s. I’m not referring to the OLED or AMOLED technologies that are frequently found in smartphones.

I’m referring to a few color-coded blocks on the watch face that stand in for the time and other ostensibly significant information. Even though these watches are pretty cool, they simply lack the features you would normally find in a smart wearable.

   The smartwatch was displayed in London during the Spring 2016 menswear show by American fashion designer Tom Ford. A chain and fob were used in place of the watch’s strap.

While Tom Ford’s customized Apple pocket watch was a brave and creative idea, I believe the first smart pocket watch could be a Moto 360. On 21 March 2015, Russell Holly published an article on Android Central. In which he documented the steps he took to convert his Moto 360 smartwatch into a pocket watch. He even posted the adapter’s blueprint on Thingiverse.

Although I have a sneaking suspicion that someone may have created something similar earlier, this is the earliest instance of a smart pocket watch that I have been able to locate. So there you have it—a modified Moto 360 serves as the world’s first smart pocket watch.

Notable Smart Pocket Watches

Smart watches are not widely available. The following list includes a few well-known examples of pocket smartwatches that have attracted media attention.

• Custom Apple Watch by Tom Ford
• Monohm Runcible
• Samsung Gear S3 Concept Pocket Watch
• FrontRow

Custom Apple Watch by Tom Ford

The first smart pocket watch to grace the fashion runway. Customized by American filmmaker and fashion design icon Tom Ford for his Spring 2016 collection fashion show. The strap of the watch was removed and a chain was attached to watch itself. The transformation rendered the heart rate tracking feature useless, but it brought a sense of fashionability and gave the original Apple Watch a classical spin.

Read also: Formal Outfit Ideas for Men

Monohm Runcible

Runcible is a smart pocket device that is made of sustainably sourced wood and upgradable electronics. It’s like a round smartphone but smaller. Monohm hasn’t really marketed it as a pocket watch but the size of it can definitely make the cut as a larger pocket watch. The team behind Runcible ran a pretty successful Indiegogo campaign in 2016, raising close to $300k. Unfortunately, the project ultimately failed and the product was never delivered to the supporters of the campaign.

You can check out more photos of what could have been in this CNET article. Also, check out this hands-on video taken during the Mobile World Congress in 2015.

Samsung Gear S3 Concept Pocket Watch

In Baselworld 2017 (held in Switzerland from March 23 to 30 in 2017), Samsung revealed three concept watches based on its Gear S3 smartwatch released several months earlier. The trio includes a hybrid smartwatch with Swiss-made mechanical movement, a luxury smartwatch with a premium finish, and you guessed it — a smart pocket watch.

The pocket watch was a concept hybrid smartwatch Samsung made based on its latest smartwatch offering in 2017 — the Samsung Gear S3, the predecessor to the Samsung Galaxy Watch. At the annual watch and jewelry exhibition, Samsung revealed not just one but two smart pocket watches, both with distinct colors and characteristics.

One in black and another one in silver. Both watches are textured, heavy, and solid. They are slightly thicker than an inch and the diameter is close to 2 inches. The black watch features a compass with see-thru glass on its cover. While the silver watch has a mechanical skeleton watch in its front cover.

The watches supposedly have the same feature set as the Samsung Gear S3, including heart rate tracking. But since you won’t be wearing it on your wrist, that may not actually be working.

Read Samsung’s press release here.

FrontRow Wearable Camera

FrontRow is the best smart pocket watch you can buy from the store today. Even though it isn’t advertised that way, can you tell from the picture below that it isn’t a pocket watch? A wearable camera is called FrontRow.

It is intended to be worn as a necklace around your neck. With this camera, you can capture or broadcast 1080p video from the first-person viewpoint, giving your audience a front-row experience. It is a highly specialized device, so you won’t get other features like a compass or be able to use it as a pedometer (step counter).

Having said that, FrontRow is stylish and well-made, and it is the best option if you want a pocket watch that can record POV videos.

Should You Get a Smart Pocket Watch?

Although they aren’t very practical and certainly aren’t popular, pocket watches are still some seriously cool technology. Pocket watches, whether sophisticated or conventional, are simply not very practical in today’s society. However, being impractical can also be awesome. Yes, practicality has its place.

But sentiment and aesthetic are also. A smart pocket watch really shines in these situations. It acts as a doorway to both the past and the future. It brings you back in time to a time before wristwatches became commonplace.

Consider the Renaissance and the Age of Enlightenment. But at the same time, its technological advancements make you curious about what the future holds for us.

You should therefore purchase one, right? Okay, sure. However, finding a smart pocket watch is practically impossible. Why? because consumers have no viable alternatives. You can hardly find a smart pocket watch for sale.

Other than FrontRow, the watches are either custom pieces that aren’t for sale or conceptual products (such as the Samsung Gear 3 pocket watch) (Tom Ford Apple Watch). The slightly superior choice is to purchase an Apple Watch and then change the straps.

Other than the Apple Watch, we were unable to find a good pocket watch accessory for smartwatches. Therefore, you’re out of luck unless you’re good at making things, like when the Moto 360 was converted into a pocket watch.

Owners of Apple Watches only need to purchase one of these items and switch out the straps to transform their wristwatch into a pocket watch.

Bucardo

Bucardo produces a series of Apple Watch accessories, most notably their gorgeous pendant necklace and pocket watch collections. It’s a little expensive but this is simply the best way to convert your Apple Watch into a stylish pocket watch.

Silicone Maid

Silicone is a hard material that will give your watch plenty of protection. You get a more subdued, matte appeal in place of the traditional metal chain appearance. If you wore it with a suit or waistcoat, it would probably look strange, but it would look great as part of a sporty and casual ensemble. In the section below with styling advice, there’s more on that. The silicone case’s superior drop protection is yet another benefit.

Necklace Adapter / Connector

Another excellent option is to get a pendant adapter. As the name suggests, a pendant adapter transforms your Apple Watch into a pendant. These adapters are designed to slide in where the band goes. On the opposite side is some kind of hook or ring where you can put the chain or necklace. Below are two examples.

Callancity

The monogram on this adapter is embellished with rhinestones. The chain has a clasp and is coated in platinum.

USEE TECH

These are a variety of necklaces made from various materials. Leather, rasta, pearl, and turquoise are a few examples.

The new adapter is distinct from the old one. This adapter has a lobster clasp in place of a ring so you can attach it to anything that has a grab handle.

Pocket Watch Chain

The necklace adapters and the necklaces that come with it, in my opinion, function reasonably well. One thing to keep in mind, though, is that these necklaces occasionally lack a hook or clasp, so you can’t simply clasp and unclasp your pocket watch. You will need to tie a basic knot around the watch in order to fasten it to a belt loop.

Purchasing one of these pocket watch chains is a better choice. Although it significantly raises project costs, you do get the classic appearance in return.

Smart Pocket Watch Styling Tips

How to match your outfit with a smart pocket watch?

How can you wear a smart pocket watch in a way that enhances your overall appearance, let’s say you have one? How should I style my smart pocket watch?

Despite having a similar appearance and feel to a traditional pocket watch, a pocket smartwatch’s styling differs due to its flat, svelte watch face and the material it is made of. When choosing an outfit that includes the smart pocket watch, follow these easy tips to look your best.

The most crucial advice is probably to match the case and chain’s material to the formality or specific style of your attire. Each material therefore has a specific affinity.

What does that mean? It means that some materials look formal, while some have an inherent sporty or casual look.

Material & Formality

For instance, your silicone case will look strange with a formal outfit. Even for smart casual attire, it won’t work. Why? Because silicone has a very bold, matte appearance. Its sleek smartwatch and rugged silicone case give it a cool, sporty, and casual appearance.

It’s absurd, like wearing a pair of Crocs with a suit. This fabric is ideal for street, casual, or athletic attire. On a hooded street outfit, a custom matte black Apple Watch with a leather strap will look stunning.

Formal Outfits

Metallics and leather are the only fashionable options for formal attire. But since a formal-looking leather case is hard to find, I’d advise sticking with metallics. It doesn’t really matter if it’s made of actual metal; what matters is that it has that metallic sheen.

The metallics in your attire should ideally match. When your watch chain and belt buckle are both made of silver, it creates a certain level of coherence.

On a scale from formal to casual, generally speaking, the more fashion freedom you have. With formalwear, there is a certain expectation, and you can’t really push the envelope all that far without ruining the appearance that society considers formal.

On the casual or street end of the spectrum, you have a lot more freedom. This means that almost any material, including silicone, metal, leather, and others, can look good and coordinated on a casual outfit.

Casual Outfits

Whether it’s a formal or casual outfit, wearing a pocket watch is important for two reasons. To tie or hook the chain to an anchor and to store it, you need a pocket. And if you can, make sure there is enough space for the chain to drape between the pocket and the anchor point. Here are some suggestions for pairing pocket watches with various casual outfits and accessories.
Jeans and a hoodie – fasten the chain to a belt loop. Keep the watch in the pocket of your hoodie. The hoodie and the chain should be in contrast to one another. Don’t wear a black leather cord with a black hoodie.

Button-down shirt – keep the watch in your shirt pocket. Connect the chain to a button or buttonhole on your clothing. Inspect the chain to make sure it is not too heavy. Otherwise, your shirt will get this strange wrinkle, which is not fashionable.

Despite the fact that a pocketed t-shirt or collar shirt is similar to a button-down shirt, it simply cannot be worn because there is no place to anchor the watch and the material is frequently not strong enough.

Jeans – Incorporate the chain into a belt loop. If the fob pocket is large enough, keep the watch there. If not, keep it in a front pocket. Never put something in your back pocket because you might sit on it by mistake and it would look very strange.

Backpack – So that you can quickly check the time, keep the watch in the side pocket. To do this, make sure the chain is long enough. The closest pull tab will do, but ideally you want to tie the watch to a fixed point on your backpack.

What’s Next

With that, we’re wrapping up our comprehensive smart pocket watch guide.  What do you have planned? Do you already have a smart pocket watch? Do you intend to create one using your smartwatch? How are you going to wear it?