Pocket Watch

Values for gold pocket watches have soared along with the increase in the value of gold bullion righ now any 18k gold watch has a base value of about $2200.00

It does have value but I would take Lovejoy's statement of a base value for any 18k watch of $2200 with a big grain of salt. I have bought and sold a decent ammount of antique gold pocket watches and there are numerous factors that determine value. I will also say 18k watches in better condition, running, sell at no reserve for well under $2200 all the time (at auction). First of all, condition and makers play a huge role. Most generic swiss watches such as this one are very common and sell for maybe a hundred or a few hundred dollars at best over their scrap values. If you have a patek phillipe, audemars etc. values go up tremendously and have little to do with metal values. The movements of largely produced swiss watches simply aren't the quality collectors with big money are looking for, a dime a dozen so to speak. With the key missing and not knowing if it runs, and considering the fair at best condition of the timepiece (scratches, monogram on back, case wear), it isn't something a collector would typically pay much attention to. You can figure with most swiss open faced watches that the case will weigh 15-30% of the total weight of the watch. Assuming this watch weighs around 120 grams, that would be 18-36 grams of 18kt gold, I'll also calculate it out at 50 grams, this would be a very very unusually heavy case and is not typical but will give a more broad view of potential value from worst to best case scenario. 18kt gold is .750 pure, and precious metals are weighed in troy as opposed to standard ounces, troy oz are 31.1 grams to the oz. Gold is currently $1253 a troy ounce. That would be $939.50~ per troy ounce of 18kt gold, or $30.21 per gram.

At 18 grams for the case the watch would be $543.80~ in metal

At 36 grams the case would be $1087.60~

At 50 grams the case would be $1510.50~

I would add maybe $25-$50 for the movement. On a good day you will get around scrap+movement value, but auctions, especially with lower quality gold timepieces listed at no reserve, typically result in the watches selling under even their metal values as it is primarily scrappers competing for them and they ultimately want to make a profit off the metal and don't care about the movement. You also then have to consider 10%-30% fees of the gross sale value depending on what auction or consignment venue you go with.

Ultimately and realistically I think this watch probably has a case around 36 grams, it looks to be of fairly decent thickness in regards to swiss standards, and would sell around $800-$1250 at auction, depending on how good of a day it is.

I don't mean to be a downer but there are much better watches available for $2200, I just don't see it here. There are small 18kt watches that sell for $300-$400, and high quality ones that can go for as much as $10,000; I would not ever use the $2200 baseline as a reasonable assessment of any old 18kt pocket watch.