John Mayer talks the Big Pilot on Hodinkee

[Panerai7]

I'm okay with a modern IWC, it supplied watches to all over the world during WWII
I don't want a nazi issued old watch.
Mayer's father is Jewish so he could have skipped it, but whatever it's a free country

[Dedalus]

I'm okay with a modern IWC, it supplied watches to all over the world during WWII
I don't want a nazi issued old watch.
Mayer's father is Jewish so he could have skipped it, but whatever it's a free country

Didn't know that about his father. I guess that offers a small glimpse into his WIS mindset. The desire to own a historic reference eclipses the need for sensitivity...or maybe his dad simply doesn't give a shit. Who knows?

[JP Chestnut]

Love me an IWC Pilot's Watch :
[img]http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n257 ... pi.jpg[img]

Hate me some Nazis.

Lukewarm on Mayer.

Regards,
Adam

I agree with 100% of this message. And I'd like to add, I love me some Adam C-Notes.

There are plenty of brands that worked with/for the Nazi regime, including, but not limited to: Kodak, IBM, Hugo Boss, Volkswagen, Coca Cola (by way of Fanta), Chanel, Ford, Chase Bank...you get the point.

I'm Jewish, both parents, whose families lost several members during the war, but I wouldn't begrudge anyone for using products from any of the aforementioned companies, and I certainly wouldn't judge anyone for wearing an IWC pilots watch. If one wanted to make this distinction when it came to watchmaking, I'm guessing that you would have to include the entire collection of IWC watches, but also ALS, Laco, Stowa, Wempe and maybe others, if I'm not mistaken.

That would be a shame, IMHO.

Sorry, but that's a dense point. Do you not see the difference between buying a 2016 MB and buying the actual car that hitler drove around in?

As Art said - free country. People can jizz over nazi paraphernalia all they want, and I'm free to think it's distasteful. Perhaps Bremont can come out with a Little Bighorn LE, with real historical us army bullets in the rotor.

[R@cerx]

Interesting how this has devolved.

[toxicavenger]

Interesting how this has devolved.

[craniotes]

Interesting how this has devolved.

Regards,
Adam

[Dedalus]

Love me an IWC Pilot's Watch :
[img]http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n257 ... pi.jpg[img]

Hate me some Nazis.

Lukewarm on Mayer.

Regards,
Adam

I agree with 100% of this message. And I'd like to add, I love me some Adam C-Notes.

There are plenty of brands that worked with/for the Nazi regime, including, but not limited to: Kodak, IBM, Hugo Boss, Volkswagen, Coca Cola (by way of Fanta), Chanel, Ford, Chase Bank...you get the point.

I'm Jewish, both parents, whose families lost several members during the war, but I wouldn't begrudge anyone for using products from any of the aforementioned companies, and I certainly wouldn't judge anyone for wearing an IWC pilots watch. If one wanted to make this distinction when it came to watchmaking, I'm guessing that you would have to include the entire collection of IWC watches, but also ALS, Laco, Stowa, Wempe and maybe others, if I'm not mistaken.

That would be a shame, IMHO.

Sorry, but that's a dense point. Do you not see the difference between buying a 2016 MB and buying the actual car that hitler drove around in?

As Art said - free country. People can jizz over nazi paraphernalia all they want, and I'm free to think it's distasteful. Perhaps Bremont can come out with a Little Bighorn LE, with real historical us army bullets in the rotor.

I guess I should have been clearer in what parts of the thread I was responding to. Like you, I find Nazi memorabilia abhorrent, but was responding to that tenor of the thread equating the historical artefact (Mayer's) with the contemporary IWC pilots collection.

[sierra11b]

Love me an IWC Pilot's Watch :
[img]http://i114.photobucket.com/albums/n257 ... pi.jpg[img]

Hate me some Nazis.

Lukewarm on Mayer.

Regards,
Adam

I agree with 100% of this message. And I'd like to add, I love me some Adam C-Notes.

There are plenty of brands that worked with/for the Nazi regime, including, but not limited to: Kodak, IBM, Hugo Boss, Volkswagen, Coca Cola (by way of Fanta), Chanel, Ford, Chase Bank...you get the point.

I'm Jewish, both parents, whose families lost several members during the war, but I wouldn't begrudge anyone for using products from any of the aforementioned companies, and I certainly wouldn't judge anyone for wearing an IWC pilots watch. If one wanted to make this distinction when it came to watchmaking, I'm guessing that you would have to include the entire collection of IWC watches, but also ALS, Laco, Stowa, Wempe and maybe others, if I'm not mistaken.

That would be a shame, IMHO.

Sorry, but that's a dense point. Do you not see the difference between buying a 2016 MB and buying the actual car that hitler drove around in?

As Art said - free country. People can jizz over nazi paraphernalia all they want, and I'm free to think it's distasteful. Perhaps Bremont can come out with a Little Bighorn LE, with real historical us army bullets in the rotor.

Curious what your stance would be on a family heirloom? I ask because eventually my wife (the eldest daughter – no sons) is likely to get the battle worn gunto used during second Sino-Japanese war and against the USA. My father-in-law has it currently but treats it as a connection to his father rather than a connection to history. I’m thinking I’ll just wrap it in a Chinese flag and throw it in the closest when she gets it… certainly won’t be displayed...I may even destroy it as time passes.

I'm torn... Part of me thinks one should be able to give a pass to certain inanimate objects used during the war. I'm in the middle on a tool possibly used to navigate a bombing run which killed allied forces. The family sword not so much. If someone was seeking to collect experimental medical equipment used in death and concentration camps I would certainly have a problem.

Back in 2000 me and a bunch of paratroopers earned our Schutzenschnur awarded by the 313 Fallschirmjägerbataillon. It was thought one of the two MG42s we fired was from that era as they're built like tanks. It was a bit strange for some of us but it didn't stop us from having a great training experience. Some of those soldiers still coveted Nazi field manuals which was creepy.

[cdnwatchguy]

For the life of me I don't understand the cult of celebrity. Why do we care what a "famous" person likes or wears and what viewpoint they have on any subject outside of their own area of "expertise"

As far as the Nazi memorabilia thing....I will refrain.

[BBK357]

1- didn't watch video

2- I have never liked the big pilot

3- I love other IWc pilots


4- I like old war memorabilia, and at the air force museum they have a dedicated hanger to wwii. Some of the stuff is cool for history sake. I've been to a small gun shop that sold reproduction nazi stuff. I was pretty confused by it, and I think whoever buys that stuff is pretty weird.

[goaliechris]

This does nothing to diminish my want of a 5009 (need to sell my 3227 first). I thought it was an interesting view as delivered by an enthusiast (probably a better term than "expert" for Mayer in this case). He has a passion for watches and it shows. It was a little much but it didn't put me off much. As an elite guitarist (which he is) he's a decent watch reviewer. He's absolutely killing it with Dead & Co this summer.

As far as wearing a watch that looks like a watch worn by pilots over 60 years ago, I'm not sure that's a legitimate concern to me. What about BMW or MB that made actual parts of planes that these pilots flew? Or VW, which Hitler with his "people's car" helped drive the creation of the Beetle? Wearing a watch that other people wore, is not the same as being into/"jizzing" over Nazis or their stuff.

[Panerai7]

& as far as wearing a watch that looks like a watch worn by pilots over 60 years ago.....

It's not "looks like", it's an actual watch issued by
RLM (Reich Luft Ministerium - German Air Ministry) to nazi pilots. They were made mostly by ALS, Stowa, Laco and Wempe (all Germans companies) and a small amount was contracted out to IWC (Swiss company). IWC also made Pilot watches for Allied Forces since they were/are neutral and fed chocolate, cheese and watches to everyone .

[marchone]

Good stuff Art.

[1954Selmer]

I love modern pilot watches. I perform many great tunes from that era that are rich in the history. "Sentimental Journey" -Dorris Day "I'll Be Seeing You" - Billie Holiday "You Are My Sunshine"- Bing Crosby. Duke Ellington - "Don't Get Around Much Anymore" and hog piles more. I've been told hundreds of WWII stories....

[greenlightning]

That boy has slayed major poon in his days

Sent from my SAMSUNG-SM-G890A using Tapatalk

[ericf4]

Mayer.....meh...doucherie

Sent from my XT1575 using Tapatalk

[JBZ]

Seems like a good place for this.

[dshap]

Am I think only one who felt like I was watching Jim Skelton on ShopNBC?

[toxicavenger]

Am I think only one who felt like I was watching Jim Skelton on ShopNBC?

No you aren't

[River Rat]

What I suggest is if you know any WW2 vets if they brought home any war souvenirs. And why they did it and what they think of them now. My Dad brought home a few Japanese's swords and helmets and other thing. When the ship pulled in port back in the USA on the pier they were checking sea bags for some stuff I guess they were not allowed to bring back my Dads brother was one of them doing the searching he let my dad sly by with his stuff. It all got lost through the years so never saw any of the war prizes he brought back and that's what vets called them war prizes. I remember reading how some British solders were searching German Pilots POW's one soldier ended up with 3-4 Hanhart chronographs the Germans had them hidden up there ass in the search his kids sold them at auction a few years ago. Most soldiers did it in WW2 and they think different about it than most of us. One of my Friends his Dad brought home a few Luger's and a butcher bayonet his Dad has a lot of cool story's he became a San Francisco cop after the war. When I grew up every bodies Dad was a WW2 vet.

[Panerai7]

The difference is there's never been a German boot stepped on American soil. Your grandmother or her sister has not been raped by one of them in their own home and their little children haven't been picked up by their feet and slammed against a stove and then skinned alive so they could make gloves out the skin. and so on and so forth. That's not fucking innocent soldiers that just did their job and followed orders that's fucking animals and there's a reason why there will always be US and Russian should stayed as well in Germany, because it's a fn evil empire that makes good cars and watches but needs to be on a short leash at all times.
So while you call it War Prizes this shit should be destroyed and forgotten like a fn bad virus

[River Rat]

The difference is there's never been a German boot stepped on American soil. Your grandmother or her sister has not been raped by one of them and their little child hasn't been picked up by his/her foot and slammed against a stove. and so on and so forth.
So while you call it War Prizes this shit should be destroyed and forgotten like a fn bad virus

Talk to a WW2 vet soon there will be none of the greatest generation left my Dad passed away a few years ago. And get there thoughts they would love to tell you there stories. That word came out of my Dads mouth not mine.

[Panerai7]

The difference is there's never been a German boot stepped on American soil. Your grandmother or her sister has not been raped by one of them and their little child hasn't been picked up by his/her foot and slammed against a stove. and so on and so forth.
So while you call it War Prizes this shit should be destroyed and forgotten like a fn bad virus

Talk to a WW2 vet soon there will be none of the greatest generation left my Dad passed away a few years ago. And get there thoughts they would love to tell you there stories.

Mike I grew up in a country where everyone was a war veteran. Don't compare a war overseas which was was for US to a war in your own back yard

[marchone]

No demographic is monolithic, Mike. My father didn't want any of that shit around any more than he'd want photos of Auchwitz on our living room wall. You don't speak for a generation.

[JBZ]

Are we actually having an argument about whether Nazis were bad?