Inscribed watchcase and my brief story

Jul 29, 2022,13:04 PM
 

I buy "used" watches at auction very happily and have a number I cherish.  A few years ago I bought the WG Movado 1940 shown below (again), which came from the collection of the estate of a dead Dutch Baron.  The deal was post-auction where it had failed to reach its reserve.  I think it would benefit from a new regulator, but it wears well as a dress watch.


The next auction from the same source included another Movado (see below again) with a similar cal150 movement and my hammer price was amazingly cheap.  I wanted the 1942 watch (I think it is a Mariner) just for its movement to provide parts for my WG watch.  This watch turned out to be very accurate and although small size is really too good to destroy.  I have recently had it serviced with a new mainspring and fitted croc strap.  It wears very well on my slim wrist.

This "Marina" has a very well executed inscription on the screw-down caseback indicating it was a 3 January 1943 present from a mother to her fully-named son.  I did some research into the unusual (to me) name and discovered that the son was or became a US sailor who served on a named US ship in WW2.  That ship was eventually scrapped in about 1948.  The demobbed sailor married and had one daughter.  He sadly died in 1989.  I presume that was when the watch was later acquired by the Dutch Baron as part of his eventual 2,000 watch collection.

Not all watches have a bad history of ownership.
Clive  
       











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Cursed Artefacts: Are they real?

 
 By: Cookies : July 29th, 2022-03:21
Many of my watch collecting friends will never purchase a used watch unless they know the history of the watch. Some even go as far to believe it is a risky thing to purchase a dead person’s watch. Well, we hear stories of people purchasing houses, art, a...  

Good one

 
 By: Cookies : July 29th, 2022-09:13
Well said!

When you look at prices of Victorian houses in London…

 
 By: mrds : July 29th, 2022-07:07
it seems plenty people are quite happy to live in dead man‘s homes. I don’t see any issue with a dead man‘s watch. I have no idea of the health of the original owner of my 1948 VC Chronograph, and that’s ok. Although I would never bid on, say, Hitler‘s wa... 

Well said!

 
 By: Cookies : July 29th, 2022-09:13
Comparison to Old Victorian houses is a good one.

I think cursed watches are a thing 😶‍🌫️ my suggestion is simple: Always Buy a NEW watch

 
 By: christianch : July 29th, 2022-07:40
repeat with me, NEVER buy a used watch, NEVER buy a used watch. Simple rule that always made me happy. I once bought a used IWC Platinum at an auction (Sotheby's) but managed to get exchange it and get a new watch. Could have not been happier. The history... 

Same here.

 
 By: Cookies : July 29th, 2022-09:14
I seldom if ever buy used watches. I kinda believe in hexes and don’t wanna find myself caught in one.

Some models are impossibly rare

 
 By: Gelato Monster : July 29th, 2022-10:38
Unless you buy factory reserved/ museum piece.

I agree with you, but this means you shrink your universe to current production models

 
 By: mrds : July 29th, 2022-10:47
Vintage, or even recently discontinued models, are a significant part of my inspiration and collection.

Yes the world will be a less colourful place

 
 By: Cookies : July 29th, 2022-11:45
Without the world of vintages

I understand respect your love for vintage

 
 By: christianch : July 29th, 2022-14:42
but vintage is just a fancy term for second-hand, used watches.

Not sure about cursed watches, but I avoid buying watches with engravings on the caseback.

 
 By: Ruffian : July 29th, 2022-08:10
The ones where no one knows the name engraved. Not the ones that say, 'DRIVE CAREFULLY ME' ;-)

Drive carefully me

 
 By: Cookies : July 29th, 2022-09:17
Sounds familiar. Where did the engraving come from?

Paul Newman's Paul Newman! :-)

 
 By: Ruffian : July 29th, 2022-09:34
Given to him by Joanne Woodward.

Ooo that would be phenomenal

 
 By: Cookies : July 29th, 2022-09:41
Silly me. But if someone bequeathed a Paul Newman Daytona to me, I wouldn’t sell it unless I go homeless. It is the watch to have in any serious collector’s collection. Now, I’m trying to convince my friend to trade his Rolex sub with me, with his name be... 

Lol. Yes, that's common.

 
 By: Ruffian : July 29th, 2022-10:32
Derek Bell, when asked where was the Heuer Autavia that Steve McQueen gave him (and that now bears his name), said it was probably stuck in between his sofa cushions or something!

It's just superstition.

 
 By: andrea~ : July 29th, 2022-08:38
Curses are quite obviously bs.

Henry Graves believed

 
 By: Cookies : July 29th, 2022-09:16
That his supercomplication Patek was a harbringer of bad luck. Do you believe in bad luck, or is it only in one’s own mind.=\

I'm not a believer...

 
 By: andrea~ : July 29th, 2022-09:34
Bad luck is just a matter of unfortunate circumstances in my opinion.

Inscribed watchcase and my brief story

 
 By: chippyfly : July 29th, 2022-13:04
I buy "used" watches at auction very happily and have a number I cherish. A few years ago I bought the WG Movado 1940 shown below (again), which came from the collection of the estate of a dead Dutch Baron. The deal was post-auction where it had failed to...  

Beautiful story

 
 By: Cookies : July 29th, 2022-13:09
I read it twice to fully grasp the effort you took to restore the other watch. Wow, the Dutch Baron had so many pieces.

In general, no, I don't have a problem owning anything (watches included) from a deceased person no matter what their cause of death. But I draw the line...

 
 By: Emil Wojcik : July 29th, 2022-14:43
...with objects such as the Hitler or Hussein watches. I have no desire to have any item associated with such people, but that has nothing to do with believing they'd be cursed. Curses don't exist in my reality. Since I collect antiquities, everything in ... 

You are very brave

 
 By: Cookies : July 29th, 2022-15:48
Lemme tell u what happened to me. House I live in used to be owned by a dentist. He sold the house without declaring his mother died in the house. He told the neighbours to keep it a secret from the new owners (me). The first night I stayed in the house, ... 

Ooooof, mad story!

 
 By: amanico : July 29th, 2022-15:53

Yes indeed

 
 By: Cookies : July 29th, 2022-15:59
Come to Sydney. U can ask the dentist, he works nearby and is almost retired. I asked the other neighbours if it was true. They said, yes, an old Armenian looking women lived in that room. Fits the description. It’s not that scary. Just a mystery.

There's lots of similar stories around although personally I believe everything has a logical explanation based in scientific fact, even if we don't know, or can ever know, what that explanation is.

 
 By: Emil Wojcik : July 29th, 2022-17:02
My house was built in 1850. In those early days it was common to have a viewing of the body in the home's front room so I'm pretty certain there have been many deceased in the house. Plus, the partner of the man who hung himself also died on the property.... 

I had a friend that said his house was haunted. Objects were moved around when they woke up or came home etc...

 
 By: Blansky : July 29th, 2022-21:06
So I researched it for him and it turns out that a woman about 25 years ago had committed suicide in the upstairs bathroom. And every person who had lived in that house since, a total of 5 couples, including my friend, all divorced while living in the hou... 

I believe this happens

 
 By: Cookies : July 30th, 2022-01:22
If it could happen to me, it could happen to anyone too. Another true story from my step-father. When he was young, he lived with his brother and parents. I believe it near Scotland. He and his brother both had a nanny who was fiercely protective of them.... 

interesting photos, many watches have a history

 
 By: Quinto : July 31st, 2022-14:46
some are supported by great characters and others by deplorable people for humanity, when we endorse sentiments and appreciations to matter and especially to watches then they acquire a plus either for our enjoyment or for our morbidity. For example, many... 

Very well said

 
 By: Cookies : August 1st, 2022-09:48
I hope i will one day acquire a “dirty dozen” military piece, and a vintage panerai. Those are so beautiful. I have a vintage Breitling which was from the war era. Have not gone back to my home in Singapore, where I left it. It is quite tiny, at 32mm, on ...