Identifying a Watch 101: The Elliott Smith Case Study
Whether it’s shown briefly on a TV show, in a photograph, featured in an advertisement, or even programmed into a video game, as watch collectors, we’ve all had at least one time where we spotted a watch and felt almost forced to double-take. Because of the money associated with stardom, it’s often Rolex Submariners, Omega Speedmasters, and Patek Philippe’s galore that we find in popular culture productions and events. There are, of course, countless instances of this, but I find that catching a glimpse of an inexpensive and accessible watch on someone’s wrist is far more rewarding and worthwhile to the average watch collector. Few of us have the ability to spend thousands of dollars on a watch that has Hollywood provenance, so to spot and potentially own a piece of horological pop culture history for sometimes well under $100 is a dream come true for many movie and watch fans. To illustrate how identifying a watch can be quite fun and certainly approachable, we will be examining singer/songwriter Elliott Smith and his wristwatch. Its brand and model will be revealed later on as I will first walk you through each step of the process. I hope I can provide you with some pointers the next time you come across a watch you want to identify yourself. It can feel like a rather unnecessary skill at times, but it’s a good feeling to discover a popular culture tie to a wristwatch that no one else has noticed before. How to Identify and Research an Unknown Watch Using Pho...