Post your caseback inscriptions! Tribute to previous owners.

verithingeoff · Dec 29, 2018

Lucky 'ol HK was presented with a Patek Philippe in 1910

The HK is Harold Ketcham, the name on the dial is Bailey, Banks and Biddle Co.

Pvt-Public · Dec 31, 2018

verithingeoff
The HK is Howard Ketcham,

Fixed that for you.

verithingeoff · Dec 31, 2018

Pvt-Public
Fixed that for you.

Thanks, I think?

AlaskaSpeeder · Jan 15, 2019

My Grandfather's Great Grandfather's 18k gold cased Elgin from 1881. Given to him by the Newark NJ masons. I'm the 7th generation to temporarily possess it. I know Elgin aren't that valuable as they made hundreds of thousands, but to the family it's priceless. I'm preparing to send it to elgintime.com for repair. It's very difficult to send heirlooms off to someone you don't know, but I'd like my 75 year old mother to see it running.

timesofplenty · Jul 17, 2021

here's one that found me recently.
neat little benrus, bliss electrical school to albert j wargo, 1949

timesofplenty · Jul 19, 2021

joe lenz's 1958 eterna kontiki

mrbreen · Jul 19, 2021

This 1910s South Bend has the initials of my uncle’s grandmother

Scarecrow Boat · Jul 19, 2021

On the back of my ‘89 Datejust. John A. Noid received this from IBM as a retirement gift on June 15 1990. Edit- typos

Passover · Jul 19, 2021

Not exactly on the caseback but I really like it... 🙄

OMTOM · Jul 19, 2021

On the back of a CK1019 (with a 37.5 inside), I think 1935. Sadly I have no idea!
East European Cyrillic - maybe somebody can help me…?

timesofplenty · Jul 25, 2021

C.A. Tolin's 14k Bulova

Canuck · Jul 25, 2021

This one was given by my late father to his mother, 93 years ago. I keep it in running condition, by I have a helluva time getting my Mrs. to wear it! She has her favourites, and this watch isn’t one of them. My father bought this watch from a jeweller in Saskatoon, Saskatchewan, where he worked as the store watchmaker.

TwinPeaks · Jul 25, 2021

Omega Seamaster Dennison cased 2846. Unfortunately, the seller did not have the story behind the engraving

Canuck · Jul 25, 2021

This one is not only engraved, the engraving tells a story. I bought the Waltham Colonial at an auction about ten years ago. Solid 14-karat case. It was give as an award in 1937, for 25-years of service. And the dude obviously never wore it! It came to me with the leatherette case, cardboard outer shell, and linen sachet from the case maker, Keystone. The outer case back has the first owner’s initials, and the inner case back tells the story. The Winnipeg branch of the business went through two major fires, and then eventually closed. The Saskatoon branch closed some years later. And, no, it is not a re-dial!

timesofplenty · Jul 27, 2021

here's a mido that came my way back down the road a piece

UncleBuck · Jul 28, 2021

timesofplenty
here's a mido that came my way back down the road a piece

That seconds hand is cool, would have loved to see that watch when new.

Helvetia History · Jul 29, 2021

This is my favourite from those I own.

A Dennison rolled gold Moon cased Helvetia half hunter pocket watch with inscription to the back as follows:

Capt W Stearn
From
M Company
26th Battalion HHG
1945

W A S 1959

The seller had no further info but I thought HHG might be Home Guard and possibly Hampshire. 26th Battalion HHG was the West Southampton Battalion and a search of the 1939 Register shows a William Stearn in Southampton, born in 1899, a traveling salesman for an electricity company. It's noted he has previous service in the Royal Engineers so a good candidate.

A bit more digging showed he had a son, William Ashley Stearn, born in 1929 and that the elder William died in 1954.

It's a bit worn but to me that tells a story. A lot of presentation watches sit in cases until the owner dies, it looks like this one was cherished and used by the owner and then when he died it seems as if his widow had it re-engraved and gave it to her son when he was 30, it looks like a prized possession.

timesofplenty · Aug 1, 2021

an old roamer, i always hope his name was bill when i look at it.
funny the things you see in pics but overlook otherwise: i hadn't noticed the period after the "L" until now.