What are jewels?

Jeweled movements are common in all American antique pocket watches, with the exception of "Dollar Watches." Jewels are hard minerals that are added to the mechanics of the watch to prevent wear at pivot and collision points. The number of jewels is typically a direct indication of the quality of the watch. A low-end watch will have generally contain 7-11 jewels. Quality movements will have at least 15-17 jewels. And, premium watches will contain 21 jewels or more. Watches that contain a higher jewel count tend to be more reliable and last longer. Please visit our jewel information page to learn how to accurately count the jewels.