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!
What are Time Capsule Watches?
They are vintage personalized timepieces engraved with the original owner’s name & other information enabling me to uniquely identify, research, and return them to the owner’s family. As of June 2026, I have gifted over 25 TimeCapsule watches back to owners' families.
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.
Click thru Menus above. Enjoy the stories -- and wristwatches -- of these remarkable people!
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WW1 Military Watches
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WW2/Cold War Military Watches
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Athletes Watches
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Presentation/Personal Watches
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The Time Capsule Collection of Vintage Watches
Bob Stokes
"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.
I am a member of the National Association of Watch & Clock Collectors (NAWCC), and served as President of Chapter 190 (Ventura CA) for two years.
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CONTACT ME
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Time Capsule Index
Time Capsule Menu
Year
Owner (Click)
WW1
1918
WW1
1918
Presentation/Personal
1942
Presentation/Personal
1945
Presentation Personal
1947
Presentation/Personal
1948
Presentation/Personal
1950
Presentation/Personal
1953