All antique pocket watches are not created equally. Some of the most valuable watches, in fact, are railroad pocket watches because they were produced with government-required exacting standards to ensure they kept accurate time. This was important not only to keep trains running in a timely manner for the convenience of passengers during the steam train era, but to avoid collisions that could occur if schedules were not followed to the minute.
The number of jewels a pocket watch has along with the number of adjustments, meaning the calibrations a watch has to keep it running accurately regarding of the position in which it is held, add to the value. The term jewels refers to the industrial grade gemstones used as bearings for gears employed to minimize friction and subsequent wear on the watch mechanism. The higher the quality of the watch, the more jewels it will have - up to 25 in some instances. High jewel watches are fervently sought by watch collectors.
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