I've just acquired this unique IWC pocket watch. It's only the third I've seen with a photograph on the dial, and the other two were both earlier Jones' models.
Does anyone want to guess who the two persons are? They are historically important. If you're the first to guess correctly, I'll send you an IWC Jones Sailing Bag (even if this isn't a Jones watch).
Regards,
Michael
A wild guess
Wilhelm II, German Emperor on the left and Otto von Bismarck on the right?
Cheers from the cellar
Austrian emperor and designated successor?
My guess: To the right emperor Frans Josef I, to the left Frans Ferdinand, murdered in Serajevo.
Kind regards,
Paul, wearing Portuguese Perpetual Calendar
By the way: interesting watch, congratulations
It is historical quite interesting, did it belong to somebody special, like the emperor (if I guessed correctly, of course)?
Kind regards,
Paul
A most unusual IWC PW, indeed Michael-Enjoy! nt.
only half wild (nt)
I'll try Wilhelm II father
Frederick III, German Emperor and Otto von Bismarck.
I look forward to the answer and details of your latest aquisition. Congratulations.
Cheers from the cellar
A most unusual IWC pocket watch
Frans Joseph I of Austria and Emperator Mazimilian of Mexico
Bill
Should have read Cellar half right first.
Obviously I missed at least half of this. Oops. Too fast to respond.
Bill
How about Wilhelm II and von Hindenburg...
Here is another version of the same two?
One more...
Wilhelm II and Franz Joseph I.
The one on the left is the last German Kaiser, known as WILHELM II (exactly: Friedrich Wilhelm Viktor Albert von Preußen, 1859 - 1941)
The one on the right is Franz Joseph I., Emperor of Austria
1848–1916
interesting watch MF...
can you tell us how they print the dial? surely it's not an actual photograph?
my guess would be its screen printed or etched on?
stephen
You may be right...
From a Prussian watch fob.
to cellar, Hans Dr. Goerter, and all...
The person on the left is the last Kaiser of German, Wilhelm II, but who is the person on the right? We had first thought it was Frederick III, his father (who served a short time) but after a lot of analysis decided it most probably was his grandfather, Wilhelm I (or Wilhelm the Great, the first German Emperor). See the photo above.
But now it might be Franz Josef --I think probably not, and I would be interested further in your thoughts.
Some more background might help. IWC did check the pocket watch in the books: The movement is a cal. IWC and it was sold in this case on June 20th 1895 to Gyllenberg & Co. in Stockholm. There are some cryptic notations about the dial in IWC's sales records. But I doubt given the dealer that the watch was owned by those photographed or their families, so I doubt it has royal provenance.
However --a big however-- having a closer look (which you can't see from the small photo) at the dial shows two year dates right underneath the photos: 1914 under Wilhelm II and 1915 under the other picture. This would clearly be an indication that the photo has been printed on the watch much later, during WWI. The photos are old, but the watch did not leave IWC's factory that way.
From quick research, Wilhelm II desired that his grandfahter Wilhelm I should be called "Wilhelm the Great"., and the photo at right looks like Wilhelm I. The photo could have been printed on this watch during a time, when Wilhelm II launched a last propaganda for the German "Kaiserreich". Maybe by a strong supporter of the monarchy, and there apparently were such sentiments in Sweden at that time.
But the two dates are perplexing, and now I am wondering if Hans Dr. Goerter might be right and it could be Franz Josef.
For Indblr's information, the photos without scientific examination look like they are half-tones finely printed on a chemically coated silver dial.
It's not a perfect watch --actually a marriage of sorts from WWI-- but it is, to me, historically interesting and a very nice addition to a collection.
Regards,
Michael
I believe Hans is right - the dates tell the tale
In 1914 - 1915 Germany and Austria were confederates in fighting the first world war and watches such as the one shown may well have been made, either to commemorate the Union of the two Emperors or to seek funding for the war effort - see the 1916 example shown above found on a quick internet search.
Dirk
Images of Franz Joseph I
On further internet research, it seems quite clear to me that it is the Austrian Emperor Franz Joseph I on the right - the similarity is striking and even the medals look the same.
Dirk
The rather youthful picture of Wilhelm II
It is interesting that in 1914/15 the picture chosen for the German emperor shows him much more youthful - by 1915 he would have been looking much more like the second image above, see also the fund raising poster of the Germans in Texas in my first post.
Dirk
