Henry Jones Sr. Pocket Watch Info Wanted (Last Crusade)

[VonMagnum]

Are there any sources other than these few frames taken from the movie attached to go by which pocket watch Henry Jones Sr. uses in Indiana Jones and the Last Crusade? I've seen Sarednab's picture (Jean Pierre Double Hunter that opens/closes), but I see no evidence from the film footage that Henry's watch has a cover. He pulls it straight out of his vest with some large strap on it and he views it in his hand (does not open/shut it at all) so I have serious doubts about that being the screen used prop. All I can make out is a gold rim, white face and what looks like roman numeral lettering to my eyes in that blur (but it's very hard to tell).

I thought it would be neat to do a display with some symmetry to it (i.e. Belle of Lincoln whiskey bottle, Henry Jones Sr. pocketwatch (that Indy would have inherited) on one side and Belloq's pocket watch followed by Eau da Vie bottle on the right (with two sets of medallions on each side and the Ark in the middle). But I'd need a pocketwatch to match. Maybe I could use something else instead of a watch to keep it with the correct movie (Raiders) theme under the poster....

Then again, maybe I could stick with the Raven Bar Shot glasses and just stick a bottle of whiskey from the bar (Johnny Walker or Jack Daniels for example) on the right side. Otherwise, I'd probably have to hunt down the tumbler glasses they used in the bar scene (and/or tent scene as he was drinking the same stuff) to go with it, really.

 

[Petertiger]

It depends on which scene because in the motorbike chase when he looks at his watch you can see it's a full Hunter type because you can see him open it,however in the plane scene when Indy says 11o,clock when he wants him to use the gun he looks at his watch and this time it a open face one which is the one I went for for my costume check out my post Henry Jones sr costume i got it from eBay and it's just a cheap one from China £2.99 Inc p&p if I remember rightly

 

[VonMagnum]

I forgot about the motorcycle scene.

We do know Spielberg and company had a history of using more than one prop design in the same movie (e.g. the Staff of Ra headpiece), so it wouldn't shock me that they had two different pocket watches (I suppose Henry could be carrying more than one, although that would be a bit unusual). He seemed to have the watch on some kind of fabric strap in the plane that isn't shown in the motorcycle scene as well. Maybe he made some modifications on the zeppelin we weren't shown (bit of a stretch, I know).

 

[rene007]

Hi,
here is a picture out of the Book "From Star Wars to Indiana Jones - The Best out of the Lucas Film Archive - By Mark Cotta and SHINJI HATA"
It shows one of the original movie prop watch.

 

[Dr Jones Sr]

As you might have noticed there appear to be two different watches, the open face watch in the biplane scene and the Hunter case watch used in the motorcycle scene.

As you can see the Hunter (sidecar) watch has the stem/winder at 3 o'clock and the hinge at 9 o'clock which is common for Hunter case watches, while the open faced (plane) watch has the stem/winder at 12 o'clock.

 

[MCINTOSH275]

What brand and model is the watch exactly, i don't see it clear...???

 

[Moviefreak]

What brand and model is the watch exactly, i don't see it clear...???

Jean-Pierre

 

[MCINTOSH275]

Jean-Pierre

Thanks...

And model...???

 

[Moviefreak]

Thanks...

And model...???

Dr Jones Sr will need to give you that info. I am not sure.

 

[ID10T]

Many older pocket watches did not have models per se; cases were made by case companies, dials from dial companies (with the brand applied) and the movement was made by the watchmaker. They were usually identified by size.

Even the same production year and size there might be several dial variants. You will also see the same dial with different branding for various companies during the same time frame.

 

[laellee]

Just fell into this....
Someone with more keen eyes, get the jewel count on the watch face. I see 17, but I'm getting old lol. That would typically limit the models available by a particular make.... Again, I'm sure I am wrong but 17 sounds low, so perhaps a larger production run. I know nothing on Jean Pierre.

 

[VonMagnum]

17 Jewels. Here's a bit of a clearer picture. I've seen a watch that's very similar, but it doesn't have a crown winder and it says "of Switzerland" below Jean Pierre. It's therefore unacceptable as a screen replica, IMO and at over $200 US, not exactly cheap either.

 

[Dr Jones Sr]

Jean Pierre, founded in 1932, is still in business

The Art of Good Time Keeping

Jean Pierre was established in 1932 in the world famous watch making metropolis of Bienne in Switzerland. These days located in the City of London, we continue to design, develop and manufacture classic watches, timepieces and elegant men's gifts for discerning clients worldwide.

jeanpierre-of-switzerland.com

They were in Switzerland, hence SWISS MADE appearing across the bottom. Now the firm is in London, hence JEAN PIERRE OF SWITZERLAND.

The purportedly screen-used watches also state
17 JEWELS
INCABLOC

Incabloc is a shock-protection system invented in 1934.

Here's a Jean Pierre watch said to have been made in 1990, we can see that the text on the face is similar to the purportedly screen-used style watches:

The questions, since they've evidently continued to make some of the same styles all this time, are:

1) When was the open case watch used in the biplane scene made?

2) When was the Hunter case watch used in the sidecar scene made?

I don't think we can automatically assume that the watches used in the film were made in the 1930s.

I don't know if Jean Pierre watches were/are dated, or when diagnostic changes in style happened.

I would take the claim that any existing watch was used onscreen with a grain of salt. Since neither watch is seen onscreen clearly enough to know precisely what the faces or backs looked like, no-one can say "this watch is a good match for what we see onscreen" or "this watch doesn't match what we see onscreen".

Do we even know for sure that the onscreen watches were made by Jean Pierre? That's the conventional wisdom, but I do wonder what the evidence for that is.

Either way, looking through Jean Pierre's current offerings, they seem to pair Roman numerals with gold and Arabic numerals with silver, while we need Arabic numerals in gold.

 

[VonMagnum]

It's in the Lucasfilm archive book. I think we can assume it's accurate until proven otherwise. If you want to use that better looking watch in your display and tell yourself it's fine, no one will try and stop you. I found one far closer to the picture (Arabic numbers) and it's not close enough for me, personally (Wrong winder shape and says "of Switzerland" below Jean Pierre.

 

[Jintosh]

What I did in one case where the watch face I wanted was not on the watch I found, (The Lost Room watch, not INDY) was to remove the correct face and put it into the correct watch. In my case, since both watches were made by the same company, everything fit.

 

[ID10T]

Looks to be 17 jewels, and with an Incabloc system for the balance wheel jewels.

Probably easiest to make a dial overlay from the photo and apply it to a Waltham or something.

 

[Dr Jones Sr]

Yes probably far less expensive to overlay a new face!

I checked with a local guy that specialises in vintage pocket watches, he had a pretty much perfect one but it's sold.

Watches that are very close are around, but they would probably be quite pricey.

 

[ID10T]

Not as popular as vintage wrist watches, so a nice one can be had for less than $100 easily.

Wristwatches, not so cheap...

 

[cjunco1937]

Hello. I was wondering if any additional information had surfaced regarding either version of this watch, particularly as to the hunter/sidecar version which seems to be the one for which not much info exists. Correct me if I’m wrong, but my understanding is that, unlike the plane version (winder at 12/no cover), there are literally no pics of the face of the hunter/sidecar version so nobody has any real idea as to what it looks like (eg numerals, or even if it is a Jean Pierre). Correct?

 

[VonMagnum]

Hello. I was wondering if any additional information had surfaced regarding either version of this watch, particularly as to the hunter/sidecar version which seems to be the one for which not much info exists. Correct me if I’m wrong, but my understanding is that, unlike the plane version (winder at 12/no cover), there are literally no pics of the face of the hunter/sidecar version so nobody has any real idea as to what it looks like (eg numerals, or even if it is a Jean Pierre). Correct?

There's a full hunter version of the watch identical to the one shown above on eBay right now for a "Buy It Now" sale. Whether the case is accurate it another matter.