I wonder what my dad is wearing? Circa 1977

Arancio601 · Feb 21, 2023

My mother just sent me through a pic of my family back when I was a baby (me on the right). Of course my eyes were drawn to dad’s watch. I asked him but he can’t recall what it was as he has had a few over the years and back then he worked in the Pilbara region in the mines in various capacities from loco driver to leading had so he said he went through a few watches. On a bind strap and looks reasonaby chunky.
We were back in Melbourne visiting my Nonno who didn’t have long left and wanted to see his first grandson. So makes it easy to date as December 1977. Unfortunately quite blurry but anyone want to have a punt on what it might be?

nonuffinkbloke · Feb 21, 2023

Dunno mate,...😕 but I like it. Nice and chunky.👍

Walrus · Feb 21, 2023

If you don’t have luck here are you on Reddit? Those guys seem to figure out even bad watch photos. Good luck I hope you find it. It would be cool if you could figure it out and get one if that’s your desire.

Duracuir1 · Feb 21, 2023

So many nice big watches back then. I typed in 70s chronograph and got these photos. A lot of Tissot came up.

And the lugs on this one look close, but it does not have the pushers like your dad’s.

I bet @janice&fred knows. And they probably have one.

Which one are you in that great photo?

Evitzee · Feb 21, 2023

Hot, dusty job in remote Western Australia in the 1970s.....not exactly a place where anyone is going to wear a good watch of any sort. I lived in Perth in 1981/82 and about the only nice watches in the City were Omega (Mazzuchelli's in Hay Street Mall was the agent) and I think someone else sold Rolex, the rest of the watches were just plain generic stuff with who knows what name on it. Good luck, though.

Arancio601 · Feb 21, 2023

Walrus
If you don’t have luck here are you on Reddit? Those guys seem to figure out even bad watch photos. Good luck I hope you find it. It would be cool if you could figure it out and get one if that’s your desire.

Good idea. I'm blown away when people can see tiny blurry details and make educated inferences from them that sometimes turn out to be on the money!

Arancio601 · Feb 21, 2023

Evitzee
Hot, dusty job in remote Western Australia in the 1970s.....not exactly a place where anyone is going to wear a good watch of any sort. I lived in Perth in 1981/82 and about the only nice watches in the City were Omega (Mazzuchelli's in Hay Street Mall was the agent) and I think someone else sold Rolex, the rest of the watches were just plain generic stuff with who knows what name on it. Good luck, though.

You are not wrong. But even back then mining dollars were pretty good. Pretty sure our stereo system was worth 1/4 the price of a house...
I quizzed mum and she said his watches were always full of red dust. Dad went up in 1968 and was there til about '81. Was a very wild and remote place back then. For the Aussies, he also used to catch the bus with Red Dog.
I will see if he can at least remember some of the brands he had back then.

dsio · Feb 21, 2023

They’re not my personal favourite but I can tell you that one brand that had a really big foothold in Australia at that time, and was popular in rural Australia for durability reasons is Certina. They were in just about every jeweller in Australia, made a lot of big chunky watches like that, and had a good mix of ruggedness and value for money.

tamura · Feb 21, 2023

I can't say anything about the watch but the picture of a happy family from the 70's is heartwarming these days.🥰🥰🥰

janice&fred · Feb 22, 2023

My guess is a Seiko chronograph. The dial (if not a reflection) has a stylistic almost butterfly color scheme for the 2 chrono counters which could be a Seiko or a number of other economical brands back then. The lugs seem to be more pronounced than the short lug Tissots and other Swiss 70's funky cases.

Arancio601 · Feb 22, 2023

@janice&fred yeah I doubt he would be wearing anything Swiss in the mines. Probably a Japanese brand like Citizen, Seiko, etc. he possibly made the band too as he was big into leatherwork back then too.

queriver · Feb 22, 2023

Arancio601
@janice&fred yeah I doubt he would be wearing anything Swiss in the mines. Probably a Japanese brand like Citizen, Seiko, etc. he possibly made the band too as he was big into leatherwork back then too.

Sorry, can't help with your question but I wore this Swiss chrono working in Hamersley's Tom Price mine in 1979 and still have it. The faded bezel is a pretty good colour match for the dirt out there:

UWG · Feb 22, 2023

Look at these lugs...

I wonder what my dad is wearing? Circa 1977

Arancio601

nonuffinkbloke

Walrus

Duracuir1

Evitzee

Arancio601

Arancio601

dsio

tamura

janice&fred

Arancio601

queriver

UWG

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