What is this weird dial on my pocket watch?

Hobie, the watch in your picture is similar to the one in BellaVoce’s pictures, but not identical. An imitation perhaps? First of all, the OP’s watch has the name Majesti printed on its face. Also, the face of the OP’s watch is turned 90 degrees in comparison to the one in your picture. And finally, yours doesn’t have a lid.

trabi I noticed that but the photo of the one on that I found is so heavily cropped, I assumed that they had cropped off the lid since it looks as if there is a reflection of the lid at both 9:00 and 6:00 on the picture. As for the part where the chain would attach and the name on the face, perhaps they are just different releases. Other the fact that BellaVoce’s watch seems to have the stem IN the post where the chain would attach, the faces are identical. Have been entirely unable to find a site where it says what the smaller dial is but I’m standing by my WAG that it is a 24 hour dial.

BV, Have you had any luck getting the hand on that dial to move?

Hobie, I’m still not convinced that the two watches are the same brand. The page it’s one doesn’t give the maker, and the OP’s watch had the name clearly written on the face. Also, the Majesti Watch Company seems to find its way into the odd website about watch collecting (including a very infuriating pay-only site that looks very detailed), so I think that - this being at least a relatively esteemed brand - anyone selling such a watch would refer to it as a “Majesti Pocket Watch” rather than a “Special Gift Item.”

I don’t know a great deal about watches, but maybe the design of the face and casing was a popular one that has been imitated. That’s another guess though…

Re: The lid. If you look closely at the OP’s picture, parts of the hinge mechanism impinge on the casing in such a way that they would be visible even if the lid had been edited out. Unless someone went to the trouble of touching the picture up to conceal them, which I find highly unlikely.

I agree with you (and Whack-a-Mole and Jjimm before you) that it could be a 24-hour clock, or - if it can be independently from the other hands - could double as a device for displaying a second timezone.

The question remaining is if - and if so, how - it can be set independently of the hands. I really think BellaVoce should take the damned thing to a jewellers and put us all out of our misery.

Now here’s a turnup for the books. According to this site, you can obtain instruction books for Majesti watches by calling this number: 212-239-0444.

BelleVoce, if you do ring them, let us know what happens! :slight_smile:

I cannot say for sure what the extra dial is for, but I can assure you that the watch is of very recent vintage and is NOT an antique.

If I had to guess, though, I would agree that the extra dial is to show 24-hour time.

Barry (author of “The New Collector’s Guide to Pocket Watches”)

Trabi, I just rechecked and the page that gets to the detail is from Majestron watch company, which makes (among others) the Majesti™ watch. Hit the back button on the description page or hit the majestron link in the menu on the left. The lack of a cover is definitely weird but the photo looks heavily touched up.

BellaVoce, are you still with us?

The plot thickens. I have also found references to the Majesti Watch Co., including this from asite about a watch show in Las Vegas this year:

Sure enough: **MAJESTI WATCH CO INC. ** is there on the list.

I wonder what the precise relationship is between Majestron and Majesti.

Hobie’s site also refers to “your Majestron or Majesti watch.”
Whatever, the company (or its legal successor) still exists, so the simplest thing would be to give them a ring. Anyone recognise their local dialling code in the number above? I’m a bit loath to call them from Europe, especially if I end up having to explain my question at length to a customer service monkey. Its a shame they don’t seem to have a website, or we could just send them a link to this thread and ask them to sort it out.

Hobie, I’ve just noticed that your watch differs from BellaVoce’s on one very significant point. From the description on the page you cite:

“Hands & Markers: Seconds dial and Black Roman Numerals”

Now look closely at the picture. Although the picture is small and it’s difficult to make the numbers out for sure, doesn’t it seem to have too many increments to be a 24-hour dial? Looking at the other watches on the Majestron page I notice that all those with an inset dial are billed as having a seconds dial, and in every case where the dial in question can be seen in the photograph this proves to be the case.

RE: The lid. Again, many of the watches are pictured with lids, making it likely that where there is a lid, this fact is not concealed.