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
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 (hopefully) return them to the owner’s family.
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 through the menu above. Enjoy the stories -- and watches -- of these remarkable people!
Returning Star Athlete Pete Burge’s Watch to LSU
Dennis "Pete" Burge (1913–1978) was a three-sport star athlete at Louisiana State University (LSU) in 1933–1934. Pete was a starter on the football, basketball, and track teams. His 1933 LSU track team was crowned the NCAA National Collegiate Champions.
The team was rewarded with 14k white gold Gruen wristwatches, custom engraved with their names (“D. F. Burge”) ~ “LSU ~ National Track Champions ~ 1933”
His watch was gifted to LSU “super fan” Shane Wells in March.
Click below to read his story:
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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.
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CONTACT ME
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TimeCapsule Index
WW2 / Cold War
1943