A Watch Belonging To Adolf Hitler… Purchased By A Jewish Collector?
At Watches of Espionage, we often explore the darkest corners of horology. Whether we’re talking about the watches of terrorists, mercenaries, war criminals, or dictators, nothing is off the table. We use watches as a medium to get to the human element; they are our prism to view the world. That said, when I heard Adolf Hitler's gold reversible watch was auctioned for $1.1 million, I paused, thinking I may have found a watch too controversial for even W.O.E. to cover.
As I attempted to wrap my head around the sale of Hitler’s watch, the buyer’s motivations, and the lack of traditional watch media coverage, I found myself wading into a more complicated conversation. Watches serve as mementos, objects that transcend their utilitarian value by representing history’s best and worst moments. But for collectors of historically charged timepieces, where is the line? Should anyone be comfortable buying, owning, or wearing watches associated with some of the most evil people to walk the Earth? Let’s explore.
Watches, Warfare, & Swiss-Neutrality
Watches are inextricably linked with warfare and many premier luxury brands owe their designs, legitimacy, and very existence to providing tools to warfighters. Iconic brands like IWC and Panerai often tout their military provenance as tools of choice for pilots and combat swimmers. But what the marketing departments (understandably) downplay is that some of those pilots wearing IWC watches were German Luftwaffe (Nazis) and Panerai’s Italian frogmen were Decima Flottiglia MAS, early amphibious commandos responsible for sinking Allied ships in WWII. The truth is complicated.
Some of the most prominent Swiss brands have willingly provided custom watches to murderous dictators, including North Korean Kim Il-Sung’s Omega Constellation, Syrian President Hafez Al-Assad’s Rolex Submariner 5513, and a series of Patek Philippe models made for Libyan strongman Muammar Gaddafi. Even by conservative estimates, these men are responsible for hundreds of thousands of innocent deaths, yet their watches continue to fetch significant sums. Auction houses and dealers have a clear ideological allegiance: money. But what about the collectors buying these watches?
Nazi Watches? WTF?
With the above-listed issues in mind, some watches are too controversial for us to touch, most notably the watches of Nazis.
In July of 2022, a watch reportedly belonging to Adolf Hitler auctioned for $1.1M at a Maryland auction house, Alexander Historical Auctions. The gold watch was reportedly manufactured by German watchmaker Andreas Huber with a movement from LeCoultre, now Jaeger-LeCoultre, and bears Hitler's initials (AH), a swastika, and the date of his appointment as Chancellor of Germany: January 30, 1933. The watch was allegedly liberated from Hitler's residence by French soldier Sergeant Robert Mignot as a “spoil of war.”
The buyer? Reportedly an anonymous Jewish bidder in Europe, a detail that would not be significant if not for the fact that the man who wore this watch was responsible for the genocide of millions of Jews during World War II.
When I heard this news I cringed, why would someone want to own a watch belonging to (arguably) the most evil person to ever live? I am by no means superstitious, but I wouldn't want that thing in my house, let alone on my wrist. But the news of the auction led me down a rabbit hole of introspection on the ethical dilemmas of watch collecting. When does something controversial cross over into taboo? At what point does the preservation of history turn into the promotion of hate? It's complicated and highly subjective.
Controversial Timepieces
I own and wear several “controversial” timepieces including a Blackwater Breitling Emergency, a Rhodesian military-issued Roamer, and a South African Navy-issued Tudor MilSub. The Tudor Submariner and Roamer are byproducts of apartheid-era conflicts, a controversial topic by any measurement. Blackwater is one of the most controversial private military contractors and also conjures up strong emotions for many.
These pieces are more than the sum of their parts, they are wearable artifacts of specific periods in time and for me indicative of historical significance rather than ideological affiliation. I believe one can own them and not condone the behavior of the original end-user (for the record I am against apartheid in South Africa).
Hafez Al-Assad Syrian Dial Rolex Submariner 5513
To complicate matters more, I recently considered purchasing a Rolex Submariner 5513 made for the late former President of Syria Hafez Al-Assad. President Al-Assad was responsible for numerous atrocities, including the 1982 Hama massacre when the Baathist government besieged the town of Hama for 27 days, resulting in an estimated 10,000 to 40,000 civilian deaths.
Hafez Al-Assad Syrian Dial Rolex Submariner 5513 (Photo Credit: HairSpring)
Why would I want to own this piece? Is it really that different from Hitler's watch? Having spent much of my life living and working in the Arab world, including Syria, something about the red Arabic signature on the dial speaks to me. Of course, this desire is by no means an endorsement of the Assad regime. On the contrary, much of my time at CIA was spent working against individuals like Assad. For me, it comes down to collecting context. By default, I think we should take a nuanced understanding of history, and exploring a topic, or a watch, does not equate to endorsement of the subject.
Provenance & Watches Of Notable Historical Figures
Marlon Brando's GMT-Master on set for Apocalypse Now, 1979.
“Provenance” is a term used by collectors and auction houses to document the history of a watch’s ownership, modifications, and service history. Whether Paul Newman’s Rolex Daytona or Marlon Brando’s Rolex GMT, watches with notable provenance fetch premiums as they transcend from “just a watch” to a historical artifact. Military watches are no different and those with documented provenance to a specific individual or unit can increase the value by a multiple of two or three.
When it comes to celebrities and other benign “famous people,” the inherent value is widely recognized. But when you get into the gray area of watch collecting, the “value” of provenance can vary based on one's ties to what that item represents.
My prized possession (grail watch) is a South African-issued Tudor MilSub reference 7016 from approximately 1974. While I have no ties to the Apartheid-era South African Navy, I have spent much of my life living and working in Africa and have a particular interest in Tudor MilSubs. The provenance of this watch has a greater value for me than the average collector. Similarly, Israeli Defense Force (IDF) issued Tudor 7928s likely have a greater value to one with ties to Israel whereas those opposed to Israel may view these watches with disgust.
So What Type Of Person Would Buy Hitler’s Watch?
My initial thought was a neo-Nazi sympathizer, a Bond villain character who wants to wear the watch in his underground lair as he pets his hairless cat. And while this may be the case, the truth, and motivations are likely more complicated.
According to at least one report from the Washington Post, the auction house president claims the watch was purchased by an “anonymous European Jewish bidder.” Is it possible that an individual spent over a million dollars on this item to remember the defeat of the Nazis? As uncomfortable as this may sound, the answer may be yes.
On the shelf in my office is a WWII-era-German (read Nazi) Eagle Claw Scabbard and Mauser-Werke Luftwaffe pistol, both war trophies brought home from the European theater by my grandfather. These items are by no means intended to honor the Nazis and to be clear as an individual and a platform we are anti-Nazi. On the contrary, these items commemorate what my grandfather and the Greatest Generation accomplished, defeating Nazi expansion in World War II. Would I purchase them at auction? No, but they do hold personal value.
Watch Collecting On A Spectrum
Our willingness to preserve history through the collection of timepieces occurs on a spectrum. Most are willing to buy and wear a new military-inspired watch. Even pacifists can appreciate them for their connection to the past. WWII Allied watches like the Dirty Dozen are also generally uncontroversial given the belief that the Allies were on the right side of history. But once you pass this, the value of the provenance is subjective.
Auction Houses
Google the name of any major auction house and you are sure to find at least one significant controversy including “fake” watches, stolen artifacts, or items of religious or cultural importance. The trade is morally complicated, and auction houses are incentivized to maximize monetary gain. The fact that Hitler's watch was sold at a relatively obscure auction house suggests that the larger auction houses passed on these items, finding them too controversial. This raises another rhetorical ethical question, is it ok for auction houses to profit off of these sales?
Conclusion
Would I want to own Hitler's watch? Absolutely not. Despite what is written above, I still believe this watch is a physical representation of pure evil. It belongs buried in a tomb or maybe in a museum honoring the holocaust victims.
That said, collecting controversial watches should not be immediately shunned and we should have an open conversation on the ethical considerations at each level. Engaging in thoughtful discussions about the implications of collecting these items and considering their historical impact is essential for navigating this complex issue.
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31 comments
Interesting article that just scratches the surface. I am a martial handgun collector and have deliberately stuck with pieces used by the Allied Forces. I do have a Walther that my father brought back as a war trophy but I draw the line at collecting Nazi stuff.
On the subject of watches—one of my favorite brands is Sinn, but wasn’t Helmut Sinn a Luftwaffe pilot? I admit it bothers me occasionally.
I wrote an aviation magazine article some years ago and submitted draft copies to an aviation historian for review prior to publishing. In my article I had referred to German soldiers as “Nazis”.
In his review of the article, the historian gently reminded me that Nazis and Nazi-ism were a political party and an ideology, and that it would be incorrect to use that label when describing a common German soldier. In fact, he pointed out, although in places widely ignored, German officers were prohibited from belonging to any political party.
My father, an ETO Mustang pilot, brought home some German trinkets as mementos of his service there. He was by no means a German or Nazi sympathizer, just the opposite, but the trinkets were a reminder of a pivotal time in his life.
I would have no problem in owning a genuine Luftwaffe Hanhart chronograph, as they are iconic watches in the history of watches design. As to the “Adolph Hitler” that would be a definite hell no for me, but it does not surprise me in the least that the watch was purchased by a Jewish person. For decades wealthy Jewish people have been buying up Hitler’s paintings and other memorabilia closely associated with AH in order to destroy them and deny their use and glorification by those who still fancy themselves to be Nazi true believers. I wouldn’t be surprised to learn that the watch has been crushed and melted down by now. It’s a good use of the money, if you have it to spend.
I collect Third Reich artifacts among other historical items and I am not of any political persuasion let alone being a Nazi or any other belief. You are making much to much of this and might actually be venturing to far into the “protest to much” area of denial dialogue !
This dispatch really caught me today because I’ve recently felt a bit of a dilemma. Within the last few months I was gifted a Vostok Командирские “Tank” watch from a friend. It is a quaint item and while by no means does it compare to my other “mechanicals” it has a flare for being different. The individual purchased it in Moscow in 1989, and also gave me a chunk of the Berlin wall with it – he had collected a few pieces when it notoriously came down.
This being said some eight weeks after giving me these personal items that “were collecting dust” as they put it the individual took their own life. It is quite sad; now having these effects carry even greater meaning, but truthfully I hardly wear the watch because it reminds me of what is happening in Ukraine, and I feel like awkward that I’m somehow promoting a return to the Soviet era. I am not. So I can see where watches as reminders of history can also keep us mindful of the present geopolitical environment.
Have a little more faith in your readers – we know you aren’t a Nazi or terrorist sympathizer, you don’t have to remind us every other paragraph.