Club Obi Wan

I realize there have been quite a few excellent threads and discussions of what type of wristwatch Indy may have worn. I searched most of them and there seems to be no new discussion for about 4 years and since the release of Crystal Skull. With Indy's timeline now spread from the mid 30's to the mid 50's, and with mens wristwatchs becoming more fashionable and acceptable, I would speculate that Indy may have decided to finally wear a watch. Plus I'm sure as a college professor he may have received one from somebody or as a Government Agent he was required to have one. The mid 30's to the mid 50's was a wonderful time for watch developement and I'm sure Indy would have been wearing one.

Thus I am starting a new watch thread and I would like to ask my fellow COW members to share on this thread their period correct (mid 30's to mid 50's) wristwatches that Indy may have worn. Please no "new" or "reproduction" watches. Let's see only watches from the mid 30's to the mid 50's.

My newly acquired specimen is a 1948 Omega Automatic "Bumper" watch. It has a Swiss 17 Jewels, Cal 332 movement with a sub second dial. It is housed in a 35MM stainless steel case with a tan leather strap. I feel it has a great "Indy" look to it. Simple and clean with the arabic numerals giving it a bit of a "military" style. Nice enough to wear as "Professor" Jones in the classroom but also "utilitarian" enough for use in the field. The self winding "bumper" movement was of the highest technology of the times and would insure Indy would never have to stop to wind his watch!




I look forward to seeing some more period correct watches!!

Thanks again!

I have no idea what it is anymore. I bought it many years ago because I thought it had the look of an adventurer watch and was reportedly from the 1930's. The brown band is broken in nicely...

I don't have any pictures just now, but I have the watch that my Dad's parents gave him on his return from service in WW II. It's badly in need of cleaning and adjustment' and the wristband is disintegrating, but if I wore a watch, instead of being a pocket watch kind of guy, that would be the one for me.

LJT

Rick5150,

That's a nice watch! It definately has the "Indy" look! Does it still run? If not you should have it serviced and when you open it up you'll probably find the manufacturer stamped on the movement. This would have been Indy's watch in the 30's and 40's before he got his new Omega in 1948!


Long John Tinfoil,

If you have a chance please take some photos and post them here. I think we all would love to see it!

Nice watches! This is one of the first things that sprang to mind when I decided that I wanted to get Indy gear for myself. What watch would he use!

Let's see your watches guys!

Here is another pic of the Omega watch I just took today along with something very special for another thread!

I hope I am in the right time period with this one.



Here is my Westport by Westclox which I think is from the 50's. Not fancy but it still keeps time and was my grandfather's so it has sentimental value. Leather band gave way recently but I have a replacement on order.

If any of the horologists at COW know more about this watch or the years it was made I would be interested and appreciative.

Whilst I know the original post was period watches only, no replicas.... I would be interested in some decent replicas out there.

Indy is mentioned as having a pocket watch in some of the novels. I honestly think that after WWII he'd have a WWII army issue watch or something along those lines for adventuring since he tends to lean towards military-esque or inspired items.


Something along the lines of this:

http://www.ebay.com/itm/MWC-17-jewels-H ... 1c2f2598ac

Interesting look, but kind of an odd watch to me.

Swiss hands and dial and case, Japanese automatic movement, hawked as a UK piece.

Fairly decent movement, as it's used by Seiko in some of their automatic wind watches, but not a big favorite of the watch buying community.

(Just as an aside, you can manually wind ALL auto wind watches, and the common practice is to give one at least 30 winds when you have to start a watch from dead stop before trusting the auto wind feature to take over. The way they are marketing it, it sounds like a special feature. It's not. )

It does have the 'look' of a military watch of the 40's.

Regards! Michaelson

I've noticed almost all of the period WWII watches are black face, was there a particular reason for this? Reflection at night?

Correct, plus ease of viewing in a dark cockpit or room. The hands (at least on all the ones I've owned) were luminus as well as at the marker locations for the numbers.

Regards! M

indyelviskenobi wrote:I hope I am in the right time period with this one.



Here is my Westport by Westclox which I think is from the 50's. Not fancy but it still keeps time and was my grandfather's so it has sentimental value. Leather band gave way recently but I have a replacement on order.

If any of the horologists at COW know more about this watch or the years it was made I would be interested and appreciative.

Based on some from my collection and general appearance (against a Helbros I have) I'd say toward the end of the 1950s.

Michaelson wrote:Correct, plus ease of viewing in a dark cockpit or room. The hands (at least on all the ones I've owned) were luminus as well as at the marker locations for the numbers.

Regards! M

I've seen various ones that were luminous and was actually surprised by that.... for some reason I didn't think that existed back then. The more you know..... haha

There's some decent vintage ones on ebay.....

I occasionally wear my Dad's 1943 Lipton wrist watch he wore in the Navy when on a destroyer in the Atlantic during WW2, and it has the most luminous glowing hands and numbers of any watch I own....which would make me a bit concerned it may be radium painted if it weren't for the fact that was outlawed for use after the 1920s'. ....but yes, they were quite luminous. I've even seen examples from WW1, but those are quite rare....but they exist.

Regards! Michaelson

WWII vintage Waltham

indy26 wrote:WWII vintage Waltham

That is really nice! Great looking timepiece ! W>

That looks just like my Dad's Lipton....and it's movement was made by Rolex.

Regards! M