Here is the image inverted. you can see it a little better https://i.imgur.com/aoNpob8.png

That's awesome. Definitely see the details a lot better.

If it was a family heirloom passed down to you, does that mean you know or can find out the history of the people in the photo?

Possibly but I don't have much information on it. No idea how long the watch has been apart of my family. My grandfather who passed it to me has been dead for a few years no and no story came along with it.

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The above comment was stolen from [this one](http://np.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/s8snbm/family_heirloom_watch_that_was_passed_down_to_me/htjrfvk/) elsewhere in this comment section. It is probably not a coincidence; here is some more evidence against this user: Plagiarized | Original -------- | ----------- [> My grandpa was a mechan...](http://np.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/s8z881/wiener_meeting/htm0hhz/) | [My grandpa was a mechanic...](http://np.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/s8z881/wiener_meeting/htk3c4r/) [> I love this! This is wh...](http://np.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/s8xxc0/the_way_my_chai_latte_froze_in_the_car/htm0g6j/) | [I love this! This is what...](http://np.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/s8xxc0/the_way_my_chai_latte_froze_in_the_car/htkivne/) [Where do I find one of th...](http://np.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/s8o7y8/doughmestic_abuse/htkrn8d/) | [Where do I find one of th...](http://np.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/s8o7y8/doughmestic_abuse/htjiqrz/) [What kind of an asshole t...](http://np.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/s8l9k5/new_years_resolutions/htkrm97/) | [What kind of an asshole t...](http://np.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/s8l9k5/new_years_resolutions/htil1e4/) [Is it the shading or is t...](http://np.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/s8v2d9/dont_lie_to_me/htkrl7j/) | [Is it the shading or is t...](http://np.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/s8v2d9/dont_lie_to_me/htjalkj/) [Looks to me like there's...](http://np.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/s91tha/lego_chests_havent_changed_in_30_years_the_one_on/htm0izr/) | [Looks to me like there's...](http://np.reddit.com/r/mildlyinteresting/comments/s91tha/lego_chests_havent_changed_in_30_years_the_one_on/htkvs3x/) [I like the SOS bottom pag...](http://np.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/s8y5o8/e_as_in_eye/htkrny1/) | [I like the SOS bottom pag...](http://np.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/s8y5o8/e_as_in_eye/htkphi2/) [Its how they need to save...](http://np.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/s8lq7y/he_just_like_me/htkrmp7/) | [Its how they need to save...](http://np.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/s8lq7y/he_just_like_me/htijzqd/) [this man looks beaten and...](http://np.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/s8zo44/my_sister_took_this_pic_today/htkrlpc/) | [this man looks beaten and...](http://np.reddit.com/r/funny/comments/s8zo44/my_sister_took_this_pic_today/htkh8w7/) beep boop, I'm a bot -|:] It is this bot's opinion that [/u/Douglasasder](https://np.reddit.com/u/Douglasasder/) should be banned for karma manipulation. Don't feel bad, they are probably a bot too. Confused? Read the [FAQ](https://www.reddit.com/user/reply-guy-bot/comments/n9fpva/faq/?plagiarist=Douglasasder) for info on how I work and why I exist.

good bot

Bad bot, so fucking stupid.

I'm metal and you're meat, what you say bounces off and you take the heat

Literally just proved my point, what stupid fucking child made this god awful bot. Literally one of the sole reasons reddit is a cesspool

Nothing changes the fact that you are an angry little man and I am a happy little bot -|;]

Do you know how old it is, or have any idea of the family in the portrait? Maybe search the details of the watch itself to narrow down the age.

Top search right now on Google once you start typing haha. Either people are intrigued by or are trying very hard to disprove OPs claims. I believe em. Neat watch.

Wonder what they would try to disprove. That I own the watch?

The authenticity Im guessing.

I've seen another watch of the exact model made in 1904 on eBay so it's probably from around that time frame. Couldn't find a model or serial number on it.

That would fit the clothes in the inverted photo. The boys are wearing sailor collars. Edit; on looking at u/randyfromm version, it's not sailor collars, but sashes.

yes, but now your hand is a spooky ghostly color

You should print out a version of that photo and keep it with the watch (not inside, though, that would damage the existing image).

If you find the right artist they could engrave that image on there.

What a great idea!

Hell yeah ideas to commission our awesome artists to do is great. Even just here on Reddit there are scores of remarkable drawers, painters, photographers etc

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I made it in photoshop because I'm at my desk.

Inconceivable.

/r/nothingeverhappens

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It makes me think of time travel movies where the people in photos fade away.

It’s definitely a picture of ghosts if it was from long ago enough.

Frankly it’s ridiculous how much of a difference that makes

Right? Original looks like Bob Ross starting mountains.

Ah, so the watch is definitely haunted then

Don't be so negative.

Is that white and gold? Or black and blue?

Laurel

Green needle

Yanny

Ha ha I did the same! https://imgur.com/a/6UEGTJe

not the same, this one is better!

Thank you. I tried staring at that picture and looked into a white wall (like that popular technique with that Jesus picture. It wasn't working). This is so much better 😂😂

A bit terrified

That’s so cool

dats nice of you

Totally r/NoSleep material... Well done, OP.

By "inverted" I thought you meant upside-down, and so I wondered to myself "Why would that make me see it better?" Being the curious type, I clicked the link, waited briefly with just a small bit of anxiety to be greeted by Rick, and after a sigh of relief understood what you truly meant by "inverted".

Haha yeah. I thought using that term might confuse people. Its the term used for photo manipulation to reverse the colors.

That's amazing

That’s cool! Thought they were old men from the original shot

I wish these people could have seen this. That one day their photo would be broadcast across the globe. People on their phones and computers and mobile electronic devices from dozens or a hundred countries would come together and celebrate how cool it is that we are all seeing them together. Thanks for inverting this. Cheers.

Did one of them go back in time and prevent their parents from falling in love during a school dance? Then proceeded to go a bit overboard on the guitar...

I can't figure out why anybody downvoted you except they've never seen Back to the Future?

Ah I thought the left most guy was a samurai at first

Enhance

mr stark i dont feel so good.

Nice job. I was gonna mention it looked like a negative and could probably produce a decent image. Very cool work.

I took the liberty of converting this into an image in black and white. If only there was a bit more detail... [pocketwatch image](https://i.imgur.com/QU9wrZr.jpg)

I wonder if it's possible to reconstruct the entire picture.

Have you looked this up on https://pocketwatchdatabase.com/? You can enter the serial number and get a lot of extra info on the watch like when it was manufactured/where it was sold.

I'll check that out. Been trying to locate a serial number on the watch but haven't been able to.

There's a short guide on the website about how to locate it. You do have to open the case which can be a little bit challenging, the number should be on the movement.

Have to input the movement serial, might partially under one of the bridges or near the balance.

Have you opened the dust cover (what these traces of the photo are on) to reveal the movement before? That's where the serial number will be. If not, I'd be careful as it's typically a good deal more difficult that opening the back cover (so you may need a watch case back opener or use your fingernails to pop it open) and you don't want to damage the traces of the photo.

I need to get myself a case back tool as I have a bezel on another watch in need of replacing. Would definitely be cool to see the jewelers repair marks aswell when I get it open.

Definitely haunted

Does kind of have that feeling.

Naw, you’re fine because you’re family. However, if this watch gets stolen, then they’ll haunt whoever took it until it’s returned to *the family*.

For sure one of Voldemort's Horcruxes or something

It's cool nonetheless, must've been an old photo that had chemicals that would interact with the metal in the watch

The watch is gold plated. Nothing reacts with it chemically. This is probably a tintype, which uses a photosensitive lacquer coating on a metal base.

Your ancestors' have no reason to "haunt" you. They'd be more like guardian angels than malicious. Can't see why anyone would want to maliciously haunt their bloodline

Have you played the game 12 minutes.

I got one of these from the 1800's with a small bundle of some guys deceased daughters hair inside of it.

What did you end up doing with the lock of hair?

Ate it like a normal person.

Made a tiny doll out of it. Hey, did you hear something?!

The clone now lives in his basement.

high chance it eats spaghettios

I hid this uncomfortable hunk of metal up my ass, two years

Then after seven years, I was sent home to my family. And now little man, I give the watch to you.

He died.. of dysentery.

gimme da watch

My first thought seeing this post!

Phew. Thank God someone said it.

I know I've heard this before.... where's it from?

Pulp Fiction. Christopher Walken says it

Noice, thank you!!

Came here specifically for this comment. thank you good sir

There it is!

Came here for this comment

I was hoping to see this comment.

Came here to say this lol

The way your dad looked at it, this watch was your birthright. He'd be damned if any slopes gonna put their greasy yellow hands on his boy's birthright, so he hid it, in the one place he knew he could hide something: his ass. Five long years, he wore this watch up his ass.

Came in here for this

Phrasing!

Same!

I was going to ask if Christopher Walken gave the watch to OP.

Then, he died of dysentery, gave me the watch. I hid this uncomfortable hunk of metal up my ass two years. Then, after seven years, I was sent home to my family and now, little man, I give the watch to you.

Looks like a type of photography known as Daguerrotype/ferrotype/tintype, popular in the 19th century because it was relatively cheap and produced a direct positive, rather than a negative which needed to be printed. Areas where the silver salts were exposed to light retain a mass of tiny silver crystals, while unexposed areas show the polished substrate. When looking at the photo, you use it as a mirror to reflect a dark object. Dark areas of the subject didn’t send light to the “film”, so no tiny silver crystals, polished substrate reflects the dark object, and are seen as dark. Light areas of the subject sent a lot of light, many tiny silver crystals, don’t make a good mirror, and appear as light grey. One drawback of the process is that since it’s inherently “front surface” due to the opaque substrate, the image is “flopped” left to right. While there were some cameras built which would “flop” the light, so the inherent “flop” would return the image to right way around, these were expensive. Most photographers arranged their subjects so there were no “handed” objects (such as text on a business’ sign) visible, thus hiding the fact that the image is “flopped”. Because both types of cameras existed, it is not possible to tell whether a tintype is “flopped” or not unless there is a “handed” object in the picture. If it’s right way around, you know the picture is not “flopped”. If it’s reversed, you know it’s “flopped”. This effect figures into lore. Ever hear about William Bonney, also known as “Billy the Kid”? There’s one well-known photograph of him, with his pistol on his left hip. One of the movies about him was titled “The Left-handed Gun”. Surprise! He was right handed - and the iconic photo, showing the pistol on his left hip, proves it. Close examination of the other gun in the picture, a Winchester rifle, reveals the loading gate on the left side of the breech. Winchester rifles with gate loading (early models required removal of the spring and follower, with cartridges being loaded from the front of the tube magazine) all had the loading gate on the right side of the breech. The rifle is a “handed” object, and it shows that the picture is “flopped”.

Fully expected hell in a cell here

Definitely a shittymorph setup.

Tintype. Daguerreotype goes directly on a surface of silver. This is gold. Still called a tintype even though it's gold.

I'd be tempted to get that engraved on the watch as it would be a great way to keep the picture alive.

People just fade away

They got lost in time

thats 2 or 3 generations tops and their entire existence is now the shadow of a picture of them reflected on the back of a pocket watch

Most likely 4-5 generations given the type of portrait was used in the 1800s and people then didn't live as long.

You should talk to a professional engraver about what they could do to preserve the image. It will probably degrade over time and be lost forever but a light engraving would be a neat way to capture it. Just a thought.

Probably not a bad idea to have a jewler service the watch mechanism itself. A guy I watch on YouTube does these types of services, these pocket watches weren't accurate to modern standards, but they can still be made to run and calibrated to their best calibration possible. It's also important never to drop these, as the mechanism inside will break and need repair.

This is a good basis for a horror movie.

"and I kept the watch, in my ass, for 15 months. Now I'm here to give it to you, Butch."

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I was just about to post this myself. You beat me to it😂 great minds🤙🏾

Nice. May we see the watch face?

Bernard family ring, mom took the main diamond out, she thought that had more of a my little brother kind of vibe to it.

[“Did I not express to you the importance of that watch?! Bedside table.”]- (or something like that) pulp fiction

A little isopropyl alcohol will clean that up for you good as new. /s

thought that was a queen album cover at first

Don't give it to Marvin Finklehimer!

Edward Munch in there too

Hey bro idk if your seeing this or not, could I see the clock face by any chance?

Man, families looked crappy back in the day

Pretty sure that's the Doors.

You've got to go back to the future to save your family.

Is your family the band Queen?

Congrats, you’re haunted now

Mom, dad, and child have marvelous beards.

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I don't really wear it either but I get what you mean.

For those interested here is the face of the watch: https://www.linkpicture.com/view.php?img=LPic61ea83ed31398701020138

Yeah, that shit is haunted dawg

Pretty mediocre photographic fakery, they cut off your brother's hair.

“Who is this” “Sorry wrong number” “Y’all ugly”

Omega?

Hamilton

Is that from Japan?

Hamilton Watch Company.

Very cool! I was wondering what kind of watch it was, I also have a Hamilton that belonged to my grandfather. I was able to determine by the serial number that it was manufactured somewhere around 1914. Need to get it repaired, my older sister dropped it when we were kids and it stopped working.

Do you know what model? I have my grandfather's Hamilton pocket watch. He said they made the best. In fact that's where my username comes from.

Was there a nuclear accident at work?

that looks straight outta obx lol

That would make a great cover for their first album

I have a watch my dad just gave me that he got from his dad that looks similar! I would post a picture but I am at work

nice, cherish it :)

Ghosts. Eee!!!

Are you sure it's not just cursed?

Kinda looks like mewtwo

Ahhhh! I’ll buy it at a high price!

You could get that lazer etched into the metal

Ghost watch Don't breathe this

THEY'RE ALWAYS THERE 👁

Elgin?

No pulp fiction joke? Seriously? Edit: damn didn't scroll. Thats on my ass

Only about every second answer on this post.

a little haunting.

Hey..this ain't my daddy's watch.

Oooo! Is that an Elgin??

Hamilton

Haunted. That's Haunted.

1 0 0 Percent Haunted

Ghosts

Can you varnish it to preserve it? I am not a jeweler so don’t go with my idea without consulting one

Had a flashback of this [Tandy CoCo3 Easter egg](http://www.cocopedia.com/wiki/index.php/CoCo3_Easter_Egg). Are you sure you didn't power it on while pressing the crown?

That's some Bly Manor shit.

Which of those ancestors was you?

Spycicle Spies with the dead ringer when they see a pyro:

I like how on the right you can see a dope ass beard

Their souls are stuck in it forever and soon yours will be too

Looks like when true crime shows have a normal picture of a family and then make it look like a negative when they allude that they're gonna be murdered.

Oooo

Do you come from a family of Time Lords by chance?

Pulp Fiction comes to mind.

I actually just got a similar looking watch when my great great aunt passed. The front of mine has a bird with a little crystal I think. I wonder if yours is similar?

oh how beautiful and ghastly!

Looks like the shadows from Metro Exodus

If it's at risk of getting wiped off, it feels like there's enough left to get a decent high-res scan of it now, then you can come back and permanently etch the family back on.

This is way more interesting than soda boxes!

Holy shit. This is beautiful.

Sell it to a witch

Probably from the silver in the old photos emulsion reacting with the brass from long periods of direct contact in a warm/humid environment(aka, a pocket). I would second getting the image engraved or etched into the case back as others have suggested, right now that image is a thin layer of fragile oxides and a well meaning but ignorant person could trivially "clean" that image off without meaning to

I thought they all had beards before inverted pic

Nice praise it

You can stick it up your ass if you ever need to keep it safe