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If Indiana Jones wears a watch.. what would it be?

Yohanes

One of the Regulars
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287
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Indonesia
I don't recall Indy wears any watch in the movie, but in case he does.. as an adventurer roaming jungles and desert.. what kind of vintage watch / model would he wear? We won't find difficulties in finding modern adventurer watch, but what about during 1930-1950 era? What would an outdoor adventurer wear? Pic would be very helpful.
 

Akubra Man

One of the Regulars
I would think he would wear the Panerai. It is different enough that it would have had to have been discovered on his travels as it would have been unavailable in America at that time. Also, an extremely rugged watch. That Omega is just pure design beauty.
 

Hemingway Jones

I'll Lock Up
Bartender
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6,099
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Acton, Massachusetts
I think he would carry his dad's pocket watch; the one with the hunter case. There were two in the film and the continuity is totally off.

In lieu of that, I think he would have some sort of army surplus watch that he picked up during the war.
 

Talbot

One Too Many
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1,855
Location
Melbourne Australia
Maybe Smiths...

Smiths were renowned for thier ruggedness. Rolex made a big deal about Hillary wearing a Rolex up Everest,which they asked him to do.

While he carried a rolex, Hillary chose Smiths to wear for himself.

Talbot
 

Edward

Bartender
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25,060
Location
London, UK
Hemingway Jones said:
I think he would carry his dad's pocket watch; the one with the hunter case. There were two in the film and the continuity is totally off.

In lieu of that, I think he would have some sort of army surplus watch that he picked up during the war.

I'd think along those lines. The only timepiece I can recall him with, offhand, was the beat up alarm clock he produces in the bedroom at Pankot Palace (Temple). I'd say something tough and basic would be his thang.... and also cheap. He's got just enough time to snatch the hat from under a rapidly descending rock door - he doesn't want to be snatching after some expensive watch as well. Tough, and easily repalced if it does get caught!!

Maybe he'd have picked up a very early Chinese fake Rolex? lol

Some sort of army surplus watch would likely have fallen into his hands during his war service.... though maybe he'd not have worn it til after the war. He was in the Secret Service, wasn't he? Wouldn't a military watch be too obvious a giveaway?
 

Spitfire

I'll Lock Up
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5,078
Location
Copenhagen, Denmark.
I like to think that he had helped himself to a german Luftwaffe B-uhr, during one of his many encounters with the foul nazis.

laco-big.jpg
 

Sertsa

One of the Regulars
Messages
195
Location
Ohio
I couldn't find what kind of watch Roy Chapman Andrews wore (an Indy-like anthropologist), but I did find this paragraph in a few places, including http://www.vintagewatch.info/History.htm, seems like Indy may have gone for a Hamilton:

Accurate time was literally a matter of life and death to Commander Richard E. Byrd when he navigated his airplane over the North Pole in 1926 - to Roy Chapman Andrews in three years' exploration of the vast and trackless Gobi Desert - to Captain Bob Bartlett on his voyages through Artic ice fields - to Liets. Hegenberger and Maitland on the first Army flight from California to Hawaii. They all used Hamilton Watches.

Here's the watch named after Andrews:

Cat%20-%20Andrews%20-%20White.jpg


I don't see Indy wearing it, though.
 

Maj.Nick Danger

I'll Lock Up
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4,469
Location
Behind the 8 ball,..
Edward said:
I'd think along those lines. The only timepiece I can recall him with, offhand, was the beat up alarm clock he produces in the bedroom at Pankot Palace (Temple). I'd say something tough and basic would be his thang.... and also cheap. He's got just enough time to snatch the hat from under a rapidly descending rock door - he doesn't want to be snatching after some expensive watch as well. Tough, and easily repalced if it does get caught!!

Gotta be a Timex then! lol Just enough of a watch to last for at least the duration of the adventure.
 

resortes805

Call Me a Cab
Messages
2,019
Location
SoCal
You guys are way off. Indiana Jones clearly would have carried an officially licensed pocket watch with his name emblazoned across the front. Sheesh. . . amatuers.
indy_jones_watch.jpg
 

ShoreRoadLady

Practically Family
Edward said:
Some sort of army surplus watch would likely have fallen into his hands during his war service.... though maybe he'd not have worn it til after the war. He was in the Secret Service, wasn't he? Wouldn't a military watch be too obvious a giveaway?

The OSS, actually, per the new movie. I can see him with an army surplus type watch, although not on any undercover missions.

I think a pocketwatch would have been the choice of our intrepid hero. He's regularly getting himself smashed into things, and a wristwatch wouldn't last 5 minutes, rugged or not.

At home, he could wear a wristwatch, but I suspect Indy's a creature of habit and would stick with what he knows.
 

gandydancer

Familiar Face
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95
Location
Blue Ridge Mountains of NC
What a silly thread.

The best watches in the world before WWII were american made. He would probably have worn a Hamilton. Although an Elgin would not be out of the question. Personally, I think, if he had class, it would have been a 21kt gold 23 jewel Waltham (I had one once, all the gears inside were engine turned polished). Swiss watches before WWII were considered cheap junk.

A "supurbly Accurate Swiss Chronometer" is certified to keep withing one minute a month. An American Rail Road watch of about 1900 would have been tossed out if it gained or lost a minute a month. Typical was about 2 seconds a week. Of course we are talking about mechanical watchs, not electronic ones, that need to be reset every leap year.
 

Edward

Bartender
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25,060
Location
London, UK
ShoreRoadLady said:
At home, he could wear a wristwatch, but I suspect Indy's a creature of habit and would stick with what he knows.

I have this notion of Marion buying him something really nice.... which he then never wears in case he damages it.... banter between them at functions when he is dressed to the nines, but still wearing a manky old, beat up watch. lol
 

Tomasso

Incurably Addicted
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13,719
Location
USA
gandydancer said:
The best watches in the world before WWII were american made. Swiss watches before WWII were considered cheap junk.
You've got some reading to do.
 

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