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,
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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
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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.