There are three main categories for pocket watch cases. Below is a brief explanation of the different types and styles.
The first one, is the "open face" pocket watch. This as the name implies is a pocket watch that does not have any (protective) cover at all.
An open face pocket watch with no cover.
The other style is the "full hunter" pocket watch. Produced mainly for when a gentleman was hunting on horseback, these are a style of pocket watch case that by depressing the crown, will open the front cover to display the dial.
A full hunter pocket watch with the case closed and on the right, now with the case open to reveal the dial.
With any of these two there are of course both advantages and disadvantages. The advantage of an open face pocket watch is the ease with which to tell the time, i.e. no need to open the top case to view the time.
The disadvantage is of course the fact that it is easier to damage the glass covering the pocket watch dial, and these advantages and disadvantages are reversed for the full hunter pocket watches.
Which leads us on to another form of pocket watch case; the demi-hunter or half-hunter pocket watch.
The difference with this style of pocket watch case is that it allows the all protection of the full hunter pocket watch by having the outer cover, yet allows the time to be read while this is still closed by having a small inner circle cut out.
The demi-hunter cases make for a very handsome and elegant pocket watch case and are much harder to find than the more "traditional" styles.
A gents demi-hunter (also known as a half-hunter) pocket watch with the case closed and open. Note the "double-spade" hand for the hour hand to allow the user to determine which is the hour hand and which is the minute hand when the case is closed.
These are the 3 main styles of pocket watch cases that all were made in both ladies and gents sizes and in a wide range of materials such as sterling silver, rolled gold, solid gold, steel, and nickle silver to name a few.
