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assortment of craftsmen were used to make pocket watches. The division of labor was quite pronounced. Separate individuals would make the rough castings, case, spring, dial, and hands. A watchmaker would then put all the parts together. One of the reasons watches were so expensive was because there were so many people involved. Raw materials weren't cheap either. And of course everything was made by hand. This was the norm until mid 19th century when mechanization of pocket watch production started in the United States. Pocket watches then became more affordable.

They became popular on coaches and with other travelers. The use of pocket watches became widespread with the development of the railways in the mid to late 19th century. Trains had to run to a timetable and passengers had to know what time their train was arriving and departing. Pocket watches were also carried by railroad staff so they could keep their trains running to timetables. With more and more trains, accidents could occur if a train was running late and passing through an area where another train was running on time, especially on single-track lines.

The American Railway Association met in 1887 to discuss standards for watches. While officials were still procrastinating, a train accident causing eight deaths occurred at Kipton, Ohio, in 1891 because an engineer's watch stopped for four minutes. Soon after this, a chief time inspector was appointed to develop a timepiece checking system and precision standards for all pocket watches used by train staff.

The General Railroad Timepiece Standards of 1893 stated that pocket watches used on the railways had to be "... open faced, size 16 or 18, have a minimum of 17 jewels, adjusted to at least five positions, keep time accurately to within 30 seconds a week, adjusted to temps of 34 to 100 (degrees) F, have a double roller, steel escape wheel, lever set, regulator, winding stem at 12 o'clock, and have bold black Arabic numerals on a white dial, with black hands". Railroad workers today are still obliged to keep their watches accurate, or face discipline.

The demise of the pocket watch began in the late 19th century when wristwatches were first manufactured. This followed their invention by Patek Philippe in 1868. Women took up the new trend but men still preferred pocket watches, considering wristwatches as unmanly. But males on the front-line in World War I found that wristwatches were more convenient, and male fashion changed from that time. Wristwatches were more practical in occupations such as pilots and nursing.

Pocket watches enjoyed a brief resurgence in the late 1970s when men's three piece suits became fashionable again. Some men at this time put a pocket watch in their vest pocket, which was the original purpose of it.

Today there is a niche market for pocket watches for males. However, a jacket is usually needed as they can be uncomfortable in trouser pockets. Women's clothing, with its lack of pockets, isn't usually practical for the carrying of a pocket watch. A gold-cased pocket watch is often given to an employee for long service or at retirement.

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