Around the Web: Babe Ruth’s Watch, Erotic Timepieces in Demand, CIA Watches, and More


Babe Ruth PocketwatchWelcome to this week’s installment of “Around the Web”. As always, WatchTime social media maven Alan Loren updates watch aficionados with what we thought were some of the most interesting watch-related stories and news tidbits of the past weeks, culled from the websites of your favorite brands as well as popular watch blogs and other media. Here’s what caught our  eye this week.

1. Babe Ruth’s Watch on Auction

The New York Post ran a great piece this week which will appeal to watch aficionados and sports buffs alike.

Long before Major League Baseball players were awarded World Series rings to mark their victories, teams celebrated championship titles by gifting their athletes commemorative watches. One of the most coveted of these World Series timepieces was owned by legendary New York Yankee outfielder Babe Ruth, whose Gruen Verithin 1923 World Series championship pocketwatch will be auctioned on February 22, in New York City, by Dallas-based Heritage Auctions.

Babe Ruth's 1923 World Series Watch made by Gruen Verithin
Babe Ruth’s 1923 World Series Watch made by Gruen Verithin

The Yankees defeated their crosstown rival New York Giants in the ’23 Classic (the baseball Giants), but for the past 65 years, since Ruth’s death in 1948, no one really knew where the 14k gold watch ended up. In point of fact, the Bambino gave it to his good friend, Charles Schwefel, and even had a specially engraved message inscribed on the back, “To My Pal Charles Schwefel.”

Babe Ruth Watch 5

The watch was later passed to another member of Schwefel’s family, and finally, in 1988, came into the possession of a private collector. However, its whereabouts were not publicized.

The watch is expected to take in at least $750,000 at auction. However, it may fetch upwards of $1 million. According to Chris Ivy, director of sports auctions at Heritage, the value of the watch is positively impacted by the fact “that it’s the first championship hardware that Ruth won” (quote from the Post report).

Interior of Babe Ruth's 1923 World Series Watch
Interior of Babe Ruth’s 1923 World Series Watch

Do you think this watch is a home run? Let us know in the comments below. For more details, read the original article right here.

 

2. The Slow Watch

From Cool Material; a watch whose time has slowly come?

We love the idea behind this very attractively priced watch. It’s called the Slow Watch, and its creators have woven together an inner complexity and an exterior simplicity to create one very utilitarian product.

Brown Vintage Leather, Black Case, Black Dial
Brown Vintage Leather, Black Case, Black Dial

The Slow Watch is essentially a 24 hour timepiece that eliminates any confusion one might have over AM and PM (admittedly, not a problem for Europeans). According to the brand, the watch uses a “Swiss Ronda Caliber 505.24H GMT movement that originally has four hands plus the date.”

Dark Brown Vintage Leather, Gold Case, Gold Dial
Dark Brown Vintage Leather, Gold Case, Gold Dial

However, it only uses one hand to mark the hours of the day. As it takes 24 hours for the hand to make one full revolution around the dial, it creates the illusion of time moving more slowly.

Swiss Ronda Caliber 505.24H GMT Movement
Swiss Ronda Caliber 505.24H GMT Movement

Interestingly, the Hamburg-based brand has placed no logo on the watch’s dial.

Slow Watches are only available online and ship to customers directly from the brand’s factory in Switzerland. To check them out, you can visit their store by clicking here.

 

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  1. Citizen eco drive chronograph

    These watches are truly original. Seems like a unique piece in the whole world!

    Reply
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