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Time Capsule
 Vintage Personalized Wristwatches & the Stories They Tell

"You never actually own a watch...You merely look after it for the next generation" **

**  Thank you, Patek Philippe

New!

​​​Major Lachlan Mitchell: 1917 WW1 Trench Watch

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“...Sohag [Egypt] is still as hot as ever & between two & four     I lie in my tent stark naked with nothing on but a wristwatch!!

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Major Lachlan Mitchell (1887–1956) was a Scottish doctor who bravely served in the British RAMC (Royal Army Medical Corps) from 1914-1918. In 1916, his medical unit became part of the Egyptian Expeditionary Force in their fight against the Ottoman Empire. ​​​​While serving in Egypt and Palestine in 1917, Dr. Mitchell scratched the following on the back of his trench watch: â€‹â€‹

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​“Major L. M. V. Mitchell ~ RAMC TF ~ EEF 1917

[Major Lachlan Martin Victor Mitchell ~ Royal Army Medical Corps Territorial Force ~ Egyptian Expeditionary Force 1917]​​​​

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Click photo below to read his story:

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​Dr. Mitchell's watch was returned

to his grandson George Harvey in March 2025

mitchell - home page 2.JPG

What are Time Capsule Watches?

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They are vintage personalized timepieces engraved with the original owner’s name & other information enabling me to uniquely identify, research, and (hopefully) return them to the owner’s family.

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Most belonged to servicemen (WW1 / WW2) or athletes, but there are also watches owned by an Alaska Gold Rush pioneer; an aviatrix friend of Amelia Earhart; and a notorious 1930’s St. Paul gangster.

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Click thru Menus above. Enjoy the stories -- and wristwatches -- of these remarkable people!

Article Heading 4 plus Cinfici photo.jpg

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WW1

WW1 Military Watches

mitchell -- WW1 Home page.jpg
starr - WW1 home page.jpg
hatch - ww1 menu 2.jpg
buehler - ww1 menu.jpg
bump - ww2 menu 2.jpg
keller - ww1 menu.jpg

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WW2

WW2/Cold War Military Watches

reese - ww2 main page.jpg
breese - ww2 menu 2.jpg
thomer - ww2 menu 2.jpg
holux - WW2 menu 3.jpg
cinfici - ww2 menu 2.jpg
whitehead - ww2 menu.jpg
masuda - ww2 menu.jpg
case - ww2 menu 3.jpg
salvoni - ww2 menu 2.jpg
scott - ww2 menu.jpg
sigman - ww2 menu 2.jpg
murphy - ww2 menu.jpg
manecke - ww2 menu.jpg

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Athletes Watches

Athletes
burge - athletes menu.jpg
millington -athletes menu.jpg
robinson - athletes menu.jpg
schmitt - athletes menu.jpg
regnier - athletes menu.jpg
gentry - athletes menu.jpg
young - athletes menu 2.jpg

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Presentation

Presentation/Personal Watches

lutro - presentation menu.jpg
lackner - presentation menu.jpg
sizer - presentation menu.jpg
Mckenzie - Presentation menu 3.jpg
pacini - presentation menu 2.jpg
davis - roisner Presentation Menu 2.jpg
foster - presentation menu.jpg
allen - presentation menu.jpg
riley - presentation menu.jpg

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About

The Time Capsule Collection of Vintage Watches
Bob Stokes 

about me - collectibles 2.jpg

​"You never actually own a watch....you merely look after it for the next generation"

I have spent my entire life collecting something. 1950s baseball cards (yup, I had all the Mickey Mantle, Hank Aaron, Willie Mays cards...) -- and of course my Mom threw them all out when I went to college.  Over the next fifty years, that morphed into Victorian Furniture, Victor Talking Machines / Nipper collectibles, 19th Century Advertising; Opera memorabilia – and finally, vintage personalized wristwatches. 

Why? First, through the miracle of the Internet, the lives of the original owners have have been documented and preserved -- military heroes; athletes; community leaders. Second, each watch is unique -- it is the only one in the world. If you don't buy it, no amount of money can get it for you. And third, when I research the owner's family, I can return it to them for posterity. 

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CONTACT ME

I'm still building my Time Capsule website -- I have over 80 more watches to document. Please let me know what you think about this initial group of vintage personal watches -- particularly if you have more information about any of them....

Thanks!  Bob 

Thanks for submitting!

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Contact
Story List

TimeCapsule Index

Menu

Year

Owner (Click)

WW2 / Cold War

1942

WW2 / Cold War

1953

Presentation / Personal

1930

Presentation / Personal

1935

Presentation / Personal

1941

Presentation / Personal

1942

Presentation / Personal

1945

Presentation / Personal

1947

Presentation / Personal

1928

Presentation / Personal

1948

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