We found our most important watch in a soldier’s pocket
I
t’s the summer of 1944 and a weath- ered U.S. sergeant is walking in Rome only days after
the Allied Liberation. There is a
joyous mood in the streets and this tough soldier wants to remember this day. He’s only weeks away from returning home. He finds an interesting timepiece in a store just off the Via Veneto and he decides to splurge a little on this memento. He loved the way it felt in his hand, and the complex movement inside the case intrigued him. He really liked the hunter’s back that opened to a secret compartment. He thought that he could squeeze a picture of his wife and new daughter in the case back. He wrote home that now he could count the hours until he returned to the States. This watch went on to survive some harrowing flights in
a B-24 bomber and somehow made it back to the U.S. Besides the Purple Heart and the Bronze Star, my father cherished this watch because it was a reminder of the best part of the war for any soldier—the homecoming.
He nicknamed the watch Ritorno for homecoming, and the rare heirloom is now valued at $42,000 according to The Complete Guide to Watches. But to our family, it is just a reminder that nothing is more beautiful than the smile of a healthy returning GI.
The hunter’s back
The Ritorno watch back opens to reveal a special compartment for a keepsake picture or can be engraved.
We wanted to bring this little piece of personal history back to life in a faithful reproduction of the original design. We’ve used a 27-jeweled move- ment reminiscent of the best watches of the 1940s and we built this watch with $26 million worth of Swiss built precision machinery. We then test it for 15 days on Swiss made calibrators to insure
For fastest service, call toll-free 24 hours a day
accuracy to only seconds a day. The movement displays the day and date on the antique satin finished face and the sweep second hand lets any watch expert know that it has a fine automatic movement, not a mass- produced quartz movement. If you enjoy the rare, the classic, and the museum quality, we have a limited number of Ritornos available. We hope that it will remind you to take time to remember what is truly valuable. If you are not completely satisfied, simply return it within 30 days for a full refund of the purchase price.
Stauer 1944 Ritorno $147 Now only $99 + S&P
800-806-1646 Promotional Code RTN266-02
Please mention this when you call. To order by mail, please call for details.
Stauer Visit us online at
www.Stauer.com for the complete line of Stauer Watches, Jewelry and Collectibles 800-806-1646 ®
14101 Southcross Drive W., Dept. RTN266-02 Burnsville, Minnesota 55337
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