And now for something slightly controversial (maybe not, it is just a watch).
From my collection comes this Molnija (read: Mol-nee-yah) pocket watch with none other than Osama Bin Laden on the dial.
The greenish dial shows Osama Bin Laden and an American flag under him at 6 o'clock where the small seconds hand is.
But there is more. As you can see for yourself the Al-Qaeda leader appears to be in cross-hairs or something. So what is the message that the watch tries to convey? Probably none. Or to each his own.
And the American flag detail at 6 o'clock.
Molnija pocket watches are powered with the cal. 3602 (or 3603) Molnija movement, a large pocket-watch movement, related to, and derived from, premium European movements of the early 20th century.
Movement shots.
The movement has yellow (brass?) plates -- such movements were made in the 2000s, but with markings. There's some number, it is some kind of movement identification number but not a serial number, RU for Russia, the caliber designation - 3602 and a Molnija watch factory logo next to it.
Movement shots.
The movement has yellow (brass?) plates -- such movements were made in the 2000s, but with markings. There's some number, it is some kind of movement identification number but not a serial number, RU for Russia, the caliber designation - 3602 and a Molnija watch factory logo next to it.
For a much bigger picture of the movement, try this link.
As I was preparing to make this post to this blog I thought it would be interesting to do a little Internet research to see (i) if I could find other mentions of this watch on the world wide web and (ii) if there were any other watches featuring Osama Bin Laden.
As I was preparing to make this post to this blog I thought it would be interesting to do a little Internet research to see (i) if I could find other mentions of this watch on the world wide web and (ii) if there were any other watches featuring Osama Bin Laden.
About a year ago I already found a picture of the same watch, that is with the same dial but in a different Molnija case -- the one with the upper lid / duster -- a hunter case. It was being sold on ebay and I was able to find the lot again because I bookmarked it at the time. But strangely the picture of the dial with Osama on it has in the meantime disappeared although the picture of the back remains. On the other hand I found out that this watch got a mention in a 2002 Reuters report as printed (or just posted online) by the Daily Times of Pakistan -- information that can be useful in dating the watch. My guess therefore is the watch was made before, or early in, 2002 but after 9/11 2001.
Here is what the report says.
Watch featuring Osama bin LadenA Russian-made pocket watch featuring Osama bin Laden and an American flag is displayed in front of the Temple of Heaven in Beijing. The pocket watch was selling for about $25 along the Sino-Russian border days before the first anniversary of 9/11. —Reuters
And there is this picture.
Same watch from the year 2002 but in different colors, the dial appears to be white, the hands gold-toned, Osama Bin Laden very much the same.
The Reuters report fails to mention the target signs on OBL though (and I can see why it would fail to mention that).
I also saw that Osama Bin Laden had made it to the dial of at least one other watch. Chinese watches named for some reason Nanci (?) have a line of watches with portraits of (in)famous people on the dial - Che Guevara, Marilyn Monroe, etc. and Osama bin Laden is also there.
Internet searches yielded another Osama Bin Laden pocket watch but I don't know what watch it is.
Picture borrowed from this webpage (link), kind permission assumed.
Some more pictures of my Osama Bin Laden Molnija pocket watch.
Hi i want that pocket watch for my collection, sir where do i get this i am from pakistan.
ReplyDeleteHello to you sir. To be honest, I don't know where you can get the watch now. It's been out of production for like 13 years and even the factory doesn't make them anymore. Maybe you could look sometimes on ebay but the last (and only) time I saw one there was in 2011.
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