Advertisement

Watch worn by General MacArthur to be sold

AFP
AFP - [email protected]
Watch worn by General MacArthur to be sold
US General Douglas MacArthur smoking a corncob pipe in 1945. Photo: Naval Historical Center

Seventy years after the end of the Second World War, a watch worn by legendary American five-star general Douglas MacArthur is going on auction in Geneva.

Advertisement

The steel Jaeger-Lecoultre "Reverso" is the star offering at Sunday's sale, the Antiquorum auction house said.
   
The "Reverso" is a classic model in which the dial can be flipped to protect the glass front from shocks while offering a solid case.
   
"We are honoured to present General Douglas MacArthur's historic Jaeger LeCoultre Reverso," said Evan Zimmermann, the head of Antiquorum.
   
"It represents a unique opportunity for collectors to acquire an important piece of world history that belonged to one of the great American military heroes of all time."
   
Raised in a military family, MacArthur was chief of staff of the US army in the 1930s and was called on to defend the Philippines against the Japanese during the Second World War.
   
Although he was forced to flee to Australia, he fulfilled a promise to return to the Philippines and officially accepted Japan's surrender on September 2nd 1945.
   
The watch, made in 1937, was bought in Geneva and is being put up for sale by his direct descendants.

MacArthur's initials are engraved on its back.
   
The model in question — a rectangular 23 mm X 38 mm watch — is still being manufactured today.
   
"For this kind of watch from that period, a conservative estimate ranges from between 5,000 and 10,000 Swiss francs ($5.470 to $10,936), but given the historical interest, the estimate for the watch being offered on Sunday has been fixed at between 10,000 and 20,000 Swiss francs," an Antiquorum expert said.

"Let's see what the auction fetches," he added.

More

Join the conversation in our comments section below. Share your own views and experience and if you have a question or suggestion for our journalists then email us at [email protected].
Please keep comments civil, constructive and on topic – and make sure to read our terms of use before getting involved.

Please log in to leave a comment.

See Also