The one watch in your collection which you rate having the most historic significance

[Frogman4me]

Originally Posted by SteelerFan65

Alas my journey might be complete...but then again maybe not.

hahaha your not fooling anyone here Ken

[Beaumont Miller II]

Ken I would say that of the watches in your collection, that is my favorite one. It has everything going for it...exclusivity, desirability, rarity, condition, and military history. I haven't even got to the dial. When I see that dial, it makes me think of a brown leather coat with with great patina of the likes top fashion designers can only come close to. I am with David when I say I am looking forward to seeing what comes next. I think your other watches are going to be jealous with so little wrist time... Ha ha.

[HL65]

Originally Posted by Beaumont Miller II

Ken I would say that of the watches in your collection, that is my favorite one. It has everything going for it...exclusivity, desirability, rarity, condition, and military history. I haven't even got to the dial. When I see that dial, it makes me think of a brown leather coat with with great patina of the likes top fashion designers can only come close to. I am with David when I say I am looking forward to seeing what comes next. I think your other watches are going to be jealous with so little wrist time... Ha ha.

Thanks John!! The good news for others is she is too big to wear to work so only nights and weekend!

[Racer X]

Cool watch Ken. You should do a separate thread for it. I'm thinking some may miss this one buried in this thread. We'll forgive you for it not being a Rolex. :) Anyway, I know very little about these watches and I'm surprised to learn it's the rarest in your stable.

[HL65]

Originally Posted by Racer X

Cool watch Ken. You should do a separate thread for it. I'm thinking some may miss this one buried in this thread. We'll forgive you for it not being a Rolex. :) Anyway, I know very little about these watches and I'm surprised to learn it's the rarest in your stable.

Thank David- I will perhaps do another post at some point. It actually is a Rolex as they made the guts of the watch! The watch was made with Rolex for the Italian Navy Seals. It is by far the rarest as there are so few in mint condition in this configuration with the Radiomir dial and no crown guards. It is one cool watch and a sight to see in person.

[cruvon]

Originally Posted by monkeyhanger

From 1910 I am in the process of researching it so any comments are welcome.

whew, she's pretty mate!!

[cruvon]

Originally Posted by erikscollectables

This watch was worn between 1967 and 1970 in Vietnam and many other places since then by a family friend who passed away some year ago.

My most treasured Rolex.
I also have a load of Vietnam items and pictures of the same guy.

Regards, Erik

nice man!!

[cruvon]

Originally Posted by SteelerFan65

Well--Now that I own this early 1950 6152-1 - I would have to say it does. It is a true military watch made for Italian Navy by Rolex and Panerai. It is in 100% original form including the strap and buckle and one of a handful in the Radiomir-no crown guard-Brevet BC configuation. The dial in person is a deep chocolate brown thanks to the radium output. The watch came from Italy and was purchased by a well known Panerai collector - Dan Fernandez and was in his private collection. Now--this rare Italian military beast sits with me and will stay in my collection. By the way-she is 47mm and truly a monster on the wrist!! So--she now sits a top of my collection as my oldest and rarest watch with a truly unique history--thanks to Rolex and Panerai and the Italian Navy!!

She's a beauty Ken, amazing addition to your collection once gain. 47mm?...Can we have some wrist pics please, that's bigger than the DRSD right?:)

[HL65]

San--you are looking at a wrist shot--last pic!! LOL....Have a good one...

[Grumpy Badger]

Originally Posted by SteelerFan65

San--you are looking at a wrist shot--last pic!! LOL....Have a good one...

But, at 47mm, it's just so damn big you don't see much wrist round it!

Seriously Ken, Paneri's never float my boat, but that's as close as one will ever get!

[HL65]

Mark I am lucky I have a big wrist!! Not for the small wristed folks!!
The history of Panerai with military background gets me for sure!
I love seeing a 60 year old plus watch like this running perfectly and
in mint condition--super coooool!! HAGD mate!

[Grumpy Badger]

You too compadre! I can see why you love her so much and, given her purpose in life, I can even forgive her those extra mm's!

[cruvon]

Originally Posted by SteelerFan65

Mark I am lucky I have a big wrist!! Not for the small wristed folks!!
The history of Panerai with military background gets me for sure!
I love seeing a 60 year old plus watch like this running perfectly and
in mint condition--super coooool!! HAGD mate!

JUst kidding about the wrist size Ken, awesome watch for sure:)

[HL65]

Originally Posted by cruvon

JUst kidding about the wrist size Ken, awesome watch for sure:)

San--I actually thought you missed it...My bad--Here is a better wrist shot for you though anyway! I will take more pictures eventually-wasn't the best day or best shots to truly capture this dial-pictures just don't do it justice!

[cruvon]

Originally Posted by SteelerFan65

San--I actually thought you missed it...My bad--Here is a better wrist shot for you though anyway! I will take more pictures eventually-wasn't the best day or best shots to truly capture this dial-pictures just don't do it justice!

Goes well on your wrist for sure Ken, wonder how big it would look if you had a modern day DSSD side by side on your wrist :), I reckon this one doesn't wear big like the DSSD.

[DiamondJack]

Originally Posted by tucsonrick

You're absolutely right. Electronic watches changed the game for time keeping. After this, one did not need an expensive Rolex (or similar) to keep accurate time; Before this watch, Rolex sold as a superbly accurate time piece with good style and status. Afterwards, Rolex had to evolve to an adequate time piece with great style and image - a transition that Rolex made better than anyone could have imagined.

Originally Posted by cruvon

wow, never saw anything like it:)

Thanks Guys and yes it is a very unusual looking watch.... It actually audibly hums if you put it to your ear which, I suppose given the tuning fork run mechanism, is not surprising.... but just very weird. The rotation of the second hand is actually smoother that any of my automatic watches. It is a Swiss made version from 1964 (most were made in the US) and given it's the the first electronic watch and first real change in watch making for over 300 years, it is definitely the one with the most historic significance in my collection. A better photo below

[jvo300]

This ain't vintage, but it's an homage to a watch with plenty of history!

[30Cal]

My dad. I think that's the watch


With me about 3 years later


Here it is more recently with my brother

[cruvon]

Originally Posted by DiamondJack

Thanks Guys and yes it is a very unusual looking watch.... It actually audibly hums if you put it to your ear which, I suppose given the tuning fork run mechanism, is not surprising.... but just very weird. The rotation of the second hand is actually smoother that any of my automatic watches. It is a Swiss made version from 1964 (most were made in the US) and given it's the the first electronic watch and first real change in watch making for over 300 years, it is definitely the one with the most historic significance in my collection. A better photo below

btw where do you service this beauty?..Surely not with the quintessential Bob Ridley:)

[DiamondJack]

Originally Posted by cruvon

btw where do you service this beauty?..Surely not with the quintessential Bob Ridley:)

I'm in London so unfortunately, the famous Bob Ridley (who is in the US) is out of reach.

But I use a mixture of people and for this and other watches where there is not a well known specialist available, i use the Antique Watch Company http://www.antiquewatchcouk.com/ in Clerkenwell Road in London..... which unfortunately is a bit too near to my office because they also sell watches...... But they have specialist old school watch guys including an amazing ex-Omega guy and can deal with most other brands including this. I also tracked down an original Bulova Spaceview technical repair manual which I have given them a copy of just in case....

There has also been a watch company on this site for a couple of hundred years so a long tradition of watch and clock repairs.

[cruvon]

Originally Posted by DiamondJack

I'm in London so unfortunately, the famous Bob Ridley (who is in the US) is out of reach.

But I use a mixture of people and for this and other watches where there is not a well known specialist available, i use the Antique Watch Company http://www.antiquewatchcouk.com/ in Clerkenwell Road in London..... which unfortunately is a bit too near to my office because they also sell watches...... But they have specialist old school watch guys including an amazing ex-Omega guy and can deal with most other brands including this. I also tracked down an original Bulova Spaceview technical repair manual which I have given them a copy of just in case....

There has also been a watch company on this site for a couple of hundred years so a long tradition of watch and clock repairs.

Thanks for getting me hooked onto Spaceviews, was your watch that got me into it:)

[cruvon]

Was just going through an old thread, some awesome watches with significant historic background here. PLeae post pics of your watch with historic significance to you here!

[cruvon]

For me currently (and am sure it will change every few years for most with an evolving collection:)) it has to be this first gen radium marker Valjoux 72 pre 806 Navitimer made between 1954-55 specially for the AOPA (http://www.aopa.org/) that made the Navitimer an icon for Breitling, offcourse that's in a tough tie with my birth year 73-74 1680 red which is historically significant to me!

[DrLindaPhD]

I purchased my first Rolex because it was a Rolex, vintage, and because it was tied to WWII. I am particularly interested in WWII Eastern European History.

I was told that the watch was sold in Paris in 1940 just after occupation by the Nazis. I was told it was a "floor" model. All this came from researching the various serial numbers, case numbers, country codes, etc. My local jeweler sent the watch to a Rolex AD in New York City who authenticated all of this information and appraised the watch and serviced it.

I like to imagine the history this watch has seen. Maybe an SS Standartenführer (equal to our Colonel) seized the watch for the good of the "Fatherland" but then gave it to his mistress (a beautiful blonde haired and blue eyed Jewish woman who has been hiding her real identity under her Christian friends documents). Maybe she uses the watch as collateral to bribe a guard so that she can help her parents escape from the Ghetto. The guard is Ukrainian and after the war takes it with him to America and sells it in a Pawn Shop in NYC in order to buy a car. From the Pawn Shop it makes it way to the home of a family in Manhattan. Its worn until the day the owner dies, in 2011. It then goes to an Estate Sale and is auctioned. I win the auction and now it is mine. That's what I would like to believe.

Unfortunately, this is the Rolex that feel on my hardwood floors the other day. It is currently on its way to NYC for repair. Hopefully it can be fixed.

[T5AUS]

Here we go, a re run on this old story of mine for the later members here.
I picked this speedmaster up back in 2010 and it was looking a little tired with a Seiko bracelet, a missing pusher, a badly damaged bezel insert, a broken spring and cracking glass. (see first three photo's)
The story of it's life is quite interesting and is as follows.......
It was purchased new back in the late sixties from a shop in Adelaide by the Australian adventurer Dennis Bartell. He was a bush pilot in those days and wanted something that was accurate and reliable. Several years later in 1985 he decided to do something totally different and thought a little walk in the desert from the North of Australia to the South, a distance of about 3000 K's (1900 Miles) might be fun, and so organised himself, starting off from the Gulf of Carpentaria. After a few days travel he started to get a pain in his leg so decided to use a trolley to carry all the extra food and water he would need for the long desert stretches between civilisation and replenishment. Here is a brief clip from the first leg of the journey and if you look closely towards the end of it, as he cooks up a bit of soup on the fire, you will see this very Speedmaster on his wrist. http://aso.gov.au/titles/documentari...er-gulf/clip1/
As can be seen from my photo's, the logo on the back of the watch is very worn, the result of the continuous wear from the desert sand sticking between the back cover and his sweaty wrist, it acted like sandpaper.
He couldn't remember when he broke the pusher off, just knowing that it happened some time on that long trek. Once back home he threw it in his tool box as it was no longer any good to him in that condition, he liked to time the sections of his walks so he knew roughly what mileage he had done, and he still had a few more treks planned.
Twenty five odd years later and with several other great walks under his belt (including the first white man to walk across the Simpson desert unaided and alone) he decided to have a bit of a clean out and found it again where he had thrown it in that old tool box and that was when he contacted me.
It is a great story and I have had immense pleasure bringing it back to life. I managed to find a pair of pushers and bezel insert which I replaced myself, getting my watch maker to repair the spring and replace the glass.
Also, the bracelet is another story itself, a vintage 1171 which was the one it would have come with, was given to me by a very generous forum member in the US, an amazing gesture and I thank him very much (he does not wish to be named) such incredible generosity and as can be seen, it works very well. The last two photo's show her back together and as some will notice, she is not in prime shop showroom condition and the lume on the small register hands as well as between the hour hand and on the indices are patchy too but we are looking at it very magnified and it really doesn't concern me too much, it's the story that really does it for me with this watch.
Dennis is in the process of publishing a book with a full video package of this and his other great solo trips across this huge continent. I am sure it will be a great read and I cant wait to see it.

[cruvon]

Originally Posted by DrLindaPhD

I purchased my first Rolex because it was a Rolex, vintage, and because it was tied to WWII. I am particularly interested in WWII Eastern European History.

I was told that the watch was sold in Paris in 1940 just after occupation by the Nazis. I was told it was a "floor" model. All this came from researching the various serial numbers, case numbers, country codes, etc. My local jeweler sent the watch to a Rolex AD in New York City who authenticated all of this information and appraised the watch and serviced it.

I like to imagine the history this watch has seen. Maybe an SS Standartenführer (equal to our Colonel) seized the watch for the good of the "Fatherland" but then gave it to his mistress (a beautiful blonde haired and blue eyed Jewish woman who has been hiding her real identity under her Christian friends documents). Maybe she uses the watch as collateral to bribe a guard so that she can help her parents escape from the Ghetto. The guard is Ukrainian and after the war takes it with him to America and sells it in a Pawn Shop in NYC in order to buy a car. From the Pawn Shop it makes it way to the home of a family in Manhattan. Its worn until the day the owner dies, in 2011. It then goes to an Estate Sale and is auctioned. I win the auction and now it is mine. That's what I would like to believe.

Unfortunately, this is the Rolex that feel on my hardwood floors the other day. It is currently on its way to NYC for repair. Hopefully it can be fixed.

Originally Posted by T5AUS

Here we go, a re run on this old story of mine for the later members here.
I picked this speedmaster up back in 2010 and it was looking a little tired with a Seiko bracelet, a missing pusher, a badly damaged bezel insert, a broken spring and cracking glass. (see first three photo's)
The story of it's life is quite interesting and is as follows.......
It was purchased new back in the late sixties from a shop in Adelaide by the Australian adventurer Dennis Bartell. He was a bush pilot in those days and wanted something that was accurate and reliable. Several years later in 1985 he decided to do something totally different and thought a little walk in the desert from the North of Australia to the South, a distance of about 3000 K's (1900 Miles) might be fun, and so organised himself, starting off from the Gulf of Carpentaria. After a few days travel he started to get a pain in his leg so decided to use a trolley to carry all the extra food and water he would need for the long desert stretches between civilisation and replenishment. Here is a brief clip from the first leg of the journey and if you look closely towards the end of it, as he cooks up a bit of soup on the fire, you will see this very Speedmaster on his wrist. http://aso.gov.au/titles/documentari...er-gulf/clip1/
As can be seen from my photo's, the logo on the back of the watch is very worn, the result of the continuous wear from the desert sand sticking between the back cover and his sweaty wrist, it acted like sandpaper.
He couldn't remember when he broke the pusher off, just knowing that it happened some time on that long trek. Once back home he threw it in his tool box as it was no longer any good to him in that condition, he liked to time the sections of his walks so he knew roughly what mileage he had done, and he still had a few more treks planned.
Twenty five odd years later and with several other great walks under his belt (including the first white man to walk across the Simpson desert unaided and alone) he decided to have a bit of a clean out and found it again where he had thrown it in that old tool box and that was when he contacted me.
It is a great story and I have had immense pleasure bringing it back to life. I managed to find a pair of pushers and bezel insert which I replaced myself, getting my watch maker to repair the spring and replace the glass.
Also, the bracelet is another story itself, a vintage 1171 which was the one it would have come with, was given to me by a very generous forum member in the US, an amazing gesture and I thank him very much (he does not wish to be named) such incredible generosity and as can be seen, it works very well. The last two photo's show her back together and as some will notice, she is not in prime shop showroom condition and the lume on the small register hands as well as between the hour hand and on the indices are patchy too but we are looking at it very magnified and it really doesn't concern me too much, it's the story that really does it for me with this watch.
Dennis is in the process of publishing a book with a full video package of this and his other great solo trips across this huge continent. I am sure it will be a great read and I cant wait to see it.

Great stories Linda, Phil!

[jerseyden]

On the day I was born, my dad went to the pub to get drunk with his mates and blow his wages on the horses. There were no licensed bookies then, but the guy who lived next to the pub used to take bets. Luck must have been with my old man that day because he won quite a bit of money. Usually he would give this back to the bookie or the landlord of the pub. However, this time he was persuaded by his mates not to be stupid as he now had a family. he left the pub, bought the watch with cash, then went back and lost the rest of his dough. In January 2007 the watch became mine.Thanks dad.

[slcbbrown]

Originally Posted by DiamondJack

Probably for me my Bulova Accutron Spaceview even though its one of my least expensive watches. It was the world's first electronic watch introduced in October 1960 and was the first watch to keep time through electronics and the revolutionary concept of not using springs or escapement. The tuning fork technology was used on 46 NASA space flights timing equipment.

Bulova as a company also have a huge number of firsts like the first company to introduce a full range of mens jewelled wrist watches in 1919. The worlds first clock radio in 1928, the first television commercial in 1941. The accutron began development in 1952 and was the first breakthrough in timekeeping in over 300 years. It has to be up there in terms of historic provenance and should be in every enthusiast's watch collection IMO.

I couldn't come up with anything for myself.

[Robbie68]

My 5513 was owned by Gerald Decter, he was well known in the 70s for bringing down a corrupt politician in L.A. President of an international manquin company, bought the watch in HK in 1970 and owned it until his death in 2009. Also a WW2 vet who fought in the Pacific.

[vintagewaferthin]

probably my early 50s 14k lord elgin which has an inscription on the back that reads "george j prendergast in recognition of 25 years with the ny news". to me its cool to know the name of the previous owner and what he did. if only the watch could talk, the stories it would be able to tell.