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Slippery Slope Victim
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Brooklyn, NY USA
Posts: 4,385
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Grandfather's WWI Pocket Watch
Many years ago, 1918 to be exact, my grandfather who was 25 years old was serving in France in World War I. While he was there he purchased a gold pocket watch, it was a Rocail.
Rocail was a Swiss made watch of good quality, 15 jewels and all in 18 carat gold. A little backstory to the watch……… As it turns out my grandfather left Italy at 17 years old to come to America to earn money to re-establish the family vineyards that were ruined due to a blight that bankrupted the family business. Now my grandfather was a tough, tenacious and large strong man, hard work was nothing foreign to him. So as he worked in the United States, he lived in Brooklyn and worked as a laborer. He hauled brick, blocks and other construction materials by hand (back) up to the worksites in the high rises. He got paid a nickel a block. He also stoked the fires at a public school and a post office. When America’s involvement in WWI came, my grandfather enlisted in the Army and became an American citizen. He was very proud throughout the rest of his life that he was an American citizen and served his new found country. Grandpa went back and forth a few times between the US and Italy, to marry, buy land and father my dad and my uncle. After a long while Angelo went back to Italy for good. He started an olive farm with hundreds of acres of groves and built a pressing factory to process his and other farmer’s olives. Grandpa became a respected and wealthy man After WWII my grandfather urged my dad to come to the states to see about selling oil here. Things did not work out. There were many “problems” that had to be worked out. He would have had to take on unwelcomed partners in the business. In 1950 my dad immigrated to the US, met a nice girl, married and happened to settle with my mom in the same neighborhood in Brooklyn that grandpa lived and worked in so many years ago. I went to the public school that he stoked the coal fire in, the post office as well was our local post office. I met my grandfather when I was nine years old when we went to Italy to visit the family. I only knew him for two months of my life. My grandfather is one of the biggest influences in my life. I hold him in the highest esteem. My grandfather gave my dad the Rocail pocket watch and dad just put it away. In fact he had a floor safe and it was stored there for years. Unfortunately there was a flood and the watch go ruined. I was heartbroken as this was the only item of my grandfather’s that I inherited. A few years ago I decided to find a pocket watch specialist and get it restored. I found a gentleman out in Oregon, Terry Nelson, WatchRepair.cc | Antique Watch Repair Services | About Watch Repair Services The watch was under water and rusted. Terry could not guarantee if or how well the watch would tun out, but he decided to give it a go. The watch turned out fantastic and it is my most prized possession. Thanks to Terry for keeping it going into the future then I will pass it to my son. Some photos. Grandad  Rocail [IMG]http  ://img.photobucket.com/albums/v101/Mikes72sb/DSC03448-1.jpg[/IMG]  Finished product.   I am so very happy to have my grandfather's watch back in running condition and looking almost new. I'll cherish it forever, and then my son will have it to pass on to his son one day.
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Mike² 1985 M491 Last edited by NY65912; 10-17-2012 at 02:49 AM.. |
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10-14-2012, 02:39 PM
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Registered
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: bottom left corner of the world
Posts: 22,713
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Thanks Mike. Great story, and great watch. Well done.
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10-14-2012, 02:49 PM
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I'm with Bill
Join Date: Jun 2005
Location: Scottsville Va
Posts: 24,186
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Very nice
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Electrical problems on a pick-up will do that to a guy- 1990C4S |
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10-14-2012, 03:08 PM
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Registered
Join Date: May 2001
Location: Tarzana, CA / Oxnard, CA
Posts: 966
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Thank you for sharing that story. That's a great watch to have!
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Ron '88 Coupe (formerly) |
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10-14-2012, 03:56 PM
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Registered
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Reno, NV
Posts: 5,941
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Mike, great story and great watch!!! So by "problems" are we talking mafia ??
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"Todd" 98 Tahoe ,2007 Saturn Vue 86 930 black and stock, 80 930 blue tracdog 91 Spec Miata (yeah I race a chick car) "life"ll kill ya" Warren Zevon |
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10-14-2012, 03:59 PM
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Slippery Slope Victim
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Brooklyn, NY USA
Posts: 4,385
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Thanks for the kind words.
I had the photo restored and blown up to an 8 x 11 from a beat up post card. I framed the photo and gave it to dad two years ago on Father's Day. He has it hung next to grandfather's discharge papers. My grandfather fought with the 42d Infantry Division, The Rainbow Division, in France. I think of my grandfater often, especially during tough times. Great man. Yes Todd, you read between the lines 
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Mike² 1985 M491 |
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10-14-2012, 04:29 PM
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Registered User
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What a great story. It is always very interesting to hear the history of a piece that has been in a family for a long time.
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Dustin |
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10-14-2012, 04:55 PM
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Registered
Join Date: Jul 2005
Location: Reno, NV
Posts: 5,941
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MIke I couldn't tell if I was reading between the lines or was reading the script from Godfather II
Very cool stuff..
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"Todd" 98 Tahoe ,2007 Saturn Vue 86 930 black and stock, 80 930 blue tracdog 91 Spec Miata (yeah I race a chick car) "life"ll kill ya" Warren Zevon |
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10-14-2012, 05:06 PM
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Registered
Join Date: Oct 2003
Location: Mount Pleasant, South Carolina
Posts: 14,134
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Great story!
My maternal grandfather was in WWI as well. Got to know him during summer vacations. He was a great and honorable man. |
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10-14-2012, 05:25 PM
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Banned
Join Date: Apr 2005
Location: Columbus, OH
Posts: 18,162
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Great story.
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10-14-2012, 06:07 PM
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Registered
Join Date: Nov 2003
Location: secure undisclosed locationville
Posts: 24,272
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i was expecting something like the story from pulp fiction.
this is nicer.
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1971 R75/5 2003 R1100S 2013 Ural Patrol 2023 R18 |
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10-14-2012, 06:10 PM
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Registered
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wow!! love it!
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poof! gone |
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10-14-2012, 06:14 PM
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Senior Member
Join Date: Jun 2000
Location: N. Phoenix AZ USA
Posts: 28,943
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Great story and very nice photos!
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2013 Jag XF, 2002 Dodge Ram 2500 Cummins (the workhorse), 1992 Jaguar XJ S-3 V-12 VDP (one of only 100 examples made), 1969 Jaguar XJ (been in the family since new), 1985 911 Targa backdated to 1973 RS specs with a 3.6 shoehorned in the back, 1959 Austin Healey Sprite (former SCCA H-Prod), 1995 BMW R1100RSL, 1971 & '72 BMW R75/5 "Toaster," Ural Tourist w/sidecar, 1949 Aeronca Sedan / QB |
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10-15-2012, 03:06 AM
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Get off my lawn!
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Cool story. That watch earned the scratches and wear. To get it working is great.
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Glen 49 Year member of the Porsche Club of America 1985 911 Carrera; 2017 Macan 1986 El Camino with Fuel Injected 350 Crate Engine My Motto: I will never be too old to have a happy childhood! |
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10-15-2012, 04:39 AM
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Slippery Slope Victim
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Brooklyn, NY USA
Posts: 4,385
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I knew someone would bring up Pulp Fiction
I would have liked to get the 1903 as well
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Mike² 1985 M491 |
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10-15-2012, 05:08 AM
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A Man of Wealth and Taste
Join Date: Dec 2002
Location: Out there somewhere beyond the doors of perception
Posts: 51,063
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There are many similarities between your family history and my own. Mr Grandfather was also the biggest influence on my life and was in life a bigger than life character who was never afraid to voice his opinion. My Grandfater once carrried a Cast Iron Stove up a flight of stairs on his back, lifted the front end of a 1950 Pontiac out of a Pot Hole when he was in his mid 50's and this is from people who saw him do it. He helped out a lot of people during the Depression and was well thought of. FOUGHT for the UAW and was Blacklisted in Detroit by Henry Ford for those activities. He once told Henry Ford to his face that he was crazy, and to Henry the 2Nd when given a Gold Watch for 35 at Ford, "That for 35 years of a mans life Ford should at least give the man a new car." He believed in education as a way to better oneself and saw to it that his children were educated.
Also there were people in my family that had to deal with those special problems as well.
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Copyright "Some Observer" |
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10-15-2012, 05:17 AM
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Almost Banned Once
Join Date: Feb 2009
Location: Adelaide South Australia
Posts: 38,301
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Great story. Good luck to you and your family.
I met my grandfather on my fathers side when I was about 4 and I barely remember him. My mothers father died at the end of WW2 so all I know about him is from stories my mother told me and some photos.
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- Peter |
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10-15-2012, 05:23 AM
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Very nice!
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Bill K. "I started out with nothin and I still got most of it left...." 83 911 SC Guards Red (now gone) And I sold a bunch of parts I hadn't installed yet. |
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10-15-2012, 03:47 PM
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Back in the saddle again
Join Date: Oct 2001
Location: Central TX west of Houston
Posts: 55,844
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One of the best threads in quite a while. Nice story and great watch.
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Steve '08 Boxster RS60 Spyder #0099/1960 - never named a car before, but this is Charlotte. '88 targa  SOLD 2004 - gone but not forgotten
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10-15-2012, 05:07 PM
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Registered
Join Date: Aug 2001
Location: Mason, OH
Posts: 2,568
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Nice story and a great piece of family history to preserve ... congrats.
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Doug '81 SC Coupe |
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10-16-2012, 02:49 PM
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Carrera
1983 Porsche SC
