Lt. John Manacke - Movado Watch Gallery
Click on Watch Gallery (below) to display photos full-screen:
"Movado (“movement” in Esperanto) was founded by Achille Ditisheim in 1881 in the watch-making town of La Chaux-de-Fonds.
The year 1935 saw the introduction of the first Movado water-resistant wristwatch, the ‘Acvatic’. This unusual spelling of the word is derived from the Latin word ‘aqua’ was first registered as a trademark in 1936.
Produced in various sizes the Acvatic had a screwed back with a lead gasket and a cork seal for the winding crown. It was developed by the case-making firm of François Borgel of Geneva. They developed many other variously shaped water-resistant cases for Movado during the subsequent decades."
1943 Movado Acvatic
Model 14779
John Manecke's Movado is an Acvatic model; based on the 1946 Movado catalog, it is a black-dialed Model 14779. The watch has a 15-jewel Swiss movement, housed in a Francois Borgel case with a gold bezel and a stainless steel back.
The dial features Roman numerals at XII, III, and IX, gold radium-filled baton hands, and a subsidiary second dial.
According to the 1946 catalog, the watch retailed for 135 Swiss Francs -- over $500 in 2024.
http://blog.vintagevixen.com/2014/11/1946-vintage-movado-watch-catalog.html
Dear Ted and Tom,
You recently repaired and restored an 80-year-old Hamilton Wilshire watch for Bob Stokes.
The watch is inscribed “Col. Frank Whitehead / U.S.M C / Staff A.I.C. / 12.23.’41”. It was presented to the Colonel by the staff of the Army Industrial College after the graduation of the final class immediately after America entered WWII. Col. Whitehead was the last pre-war Commandant of AIC, and he retired from the Corps at the rank of Brigadier General on January 1, 1946 – the day before I was born. Significantly, he was my cousin.
After Bob Stokes acquired the watch and somehow (amazingly) learned that I was related to its original wearer, he sent the watch to you for repair and restoration; he and I have been communicating regularly since early February. Today, I received from Bob what appears to be a brand new Hamilton Wilshire watch.
On behalf of my Family and its generations yet to come, I cannot thank you enough for your expert craftsmanship in repairing and restoring my cousin’s watch, and to Bob for sending it back to its Family. Should I or anyone I know (especially all my Texas Friends!) ever require watch repairs, rest assured that The Watch Doc will be the first call made. You truly perform “watch miracles”.
Thanks again & best regards,
Gale Heslop