Remembering General Norman Schwarzkopf & His Watches | aBlogtoWatch (2024)

Remembering General Norman Schwarzkopf & His Watches | aBlogtoWatch (1)

“I always wore two watches during the [Gulf] war. The one on my left arm was set on Saudi Arabian time and the Seiko on my right arm was set on Eastern Standard Time. That way I could quickly glance at my watches and instantly know the time in both Saudi Arabia and Washington, D.C. Sincerely, H. Norman Schwarzkopf General, U.S. Army, Retired.” Words from recently departed General Norman Schwarzkopf in a letter to the Antiquorum auction house in the late 1990s when he donated one his watches for a charity auction.

The watch was a Seiko SKX009 diver and was on his wrist for at least the entirety of the early 1990s Gulf War. According to the letter and many images from the time, General Norman Schwarzkopf indeed “double wristed it” with a watch on each wrist. Mark of a true watch guy? At auction, the Seiko which can be purchased new for about $200 today went for $11,000.


Remembering General Norman Schwarzkopf & His Watches | aBlogtoWatch (2)Remembering General Norman Schwarzkopf & His Watches | aBlogtoWatch (3)Remembering General Norman Schwarzkopf & His Watches | aBlogtoWatch (4)

Four star generals in the US military are quite rare but “Stormin’ Norman” was among them. His strategic brilliance and legendary temper made him one of the 20th century’s most iconic and archetypal major military leaders. Retired, he died at the age of 78 years old in Tampa, Florida several days ago at the end of 2012. One of his most famous quotes was “It doesn’t take a hero to order men into battle. It takes a hero to be one of those men who goes into battle.”

I would be doing a great disservice to the many qualified military historians and tactical experts who are more knowledgeable than I in discussing the life and career of General Norman Schwarzkopf. So I will merely mention brief items of interest. More information about General Schwarzkopf is of course available on his Wikipedia page here.

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Remembering General Norman Schwarzkopf & His Watches | aBlogtoWatch (5)Remembering General Norman Schwarzkopf & His Watches | aBlogtoWatch (6)Remembering General Norman Schwarzkopf & His Watches | aBlogtoWatch (7)

General Norman Schwarzkopf was born in New Jersey with his father being a military and police man. He moved to Iran when he was 12 with his family which offered him early exposure to the Middle East. Schwarzkopf was a lifelong military man but spent a lot of his time earning degrees. Most of his childhood was spent in some form of military prep school, and he later attended the United States Military Academy in New York, which we also often refer to as “West Point.” A few years later he moved to Southern California to study mechanical engineering at USC. In the 1960s Southern California and Los Angeles was a hotbed of aeronautical development, which meant it was the best place to study advanced mechanical engineering at that time. Later still General Norman Schwarzkopf went to the United States Army War College in Pennsylvania to study more high-level strategy and leadership.

Remembering General Norman Schwarzkopf & His Watches | aBlogtoWatch (8)Remembering General Norman Schwarzkopf & His Watches | aBlogtoWatch (9)Remembering General Norman Schwarzkopf & His Watches | aBlogtoWatch (10)

General Norman Schwarzkopf served considerably in Vietnam, continuing to rise in military rank. In the 1970s he first achieved the rank of General. In the 1990s he led the US forces in the Persian Gulf during the Gulf War. It was an extremely decisive victory, taking the US military only about 100 hours to gain control over the region and ejecting the Iraqi forces from Kuwait. It is during that time that General Norman Schwarzkopf wore the two watches. Check out anexcellent video presentation by the General on how we so easily were victorious in the Gulf War from the early 1990s.

It is the general belief (or perhaps hope) that military personnel wear military watches. General Norman Schwarzkopf certainly didn’t on either wrist. Both of his timepieces were quite civilian, and it is somewhat amusing or perhaps charming that rather than wear a single watch with two timezones, he wore two separate watches. As a dive-style watch, the Seiko was both comfortable and legible. It served as a beater or desk diver watch of many, and for General Norman Schwarzkopf it was reliable timepiece he wore all the time. While an automatic version of the Seiko is available, Schwarzkopf’s model was a quartz piece. That would have made more sense at the time as quartz was far more popular than mechanical watches and considered the highpoint of wrist watch technology.

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His second watch is a bit more of an interesting, though logical choice. It strongly appears that General Norman Schwarzkopf also wore a Rolex. It is unclear exactly what model, but it is probably a two-tone (steel and gold) Rolex Day-Date. However, a reader pointed out that Rolex does not actually officially made two-tone Day-Date models. This watch is also know as the Rolex President (because it was historically worn by several US Presidents and other world leaders). For General Schwarzkopf to have purchased or been gifted this watch during the 1980s makes a lot of sense.

The Rolex could have also been a Rolex Datejust model, which is of course similar to the Day-Date. However, the style of two-tone bracelet on Schwarzkopf’s wrist was used primarily on Day-Date models. The watch has a steel case with a fluted gold bezel, as well as what looks like a gold-toned dial. These pieces are not entirely common so finding a precise picture was difficult. Shown are examples, or similar watches to what could have been on General Norman Schwarzkopf’s wrist adjacent to the Seiko. The jury is still out on exactly what type of Rolex it was, or if it was a Rolex at all.

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The Rolex Day-Date and Datejust are two very “copied” designs. Even Seiko made a range of clone models. It is possible, but not terribly likely that the Rolex-style watch was a different make. However, given General Norman Schwarzkopf’s position in life and social status, it was entirely likely that it was a genuine Rolex timepiece. Another piece of evidence to support this position is that it is my experience that engineers tend to be “watch guys.” As an engineer himself, it is entirely likely that Schwarzkopf not only appreciated good watches, but would have wanted to own them.

None of this per se indicates that General Norman Schwarzkopf was a collector or fine watch aficionado, but it is an interesting segment of history that further grounds these two pieces in the real world. An appreciation of watch models and brands so frequently revolves around not only their history, but figures in history who chose to wear them. This is especially important because so often today famous people seen wearing watches are paid spokespeople or “friends of the brand.” Schwarzkopf was neither and wore these two timepieces (among others in his life) entirely because he wanted to. America has unfortunately lost another stellar military leader, but he had by most accounts, an excellent life. Rest in peace General Hubert Norman Schwarzkopf.

Thanks to an aBlogtoWatch reader and members of sites like WatchUSeek for their discussion on General Shwarzkopf and his watches.

Remembering General Norman Schwarzkopf & His Watches | aBlogtoWatch (2024)

FAQs

Why did Norman Schwarzkopf wear two watches? ›

One explanation is that voiced by “Stormin' Norman” Schwarzkopf during the 1991 Gulf War. The US general explained that, in order to keep track of two time zones, he wore a Rolex Day-Date set to Saudi Arabian time on his left wrist and a Seiko dive watch set to the time in Washington, DC on his right.

What watch did Norman Schwarzkopf wear? ›

The watch was a Seiko SKX009 diver and was on his wrist for at least the entirety of the early 1990s Gulf War.

What watches do generals wear? ›

Military Watches: Big Brands. Today, there are many options in the market, differing in design and price. The bigger, named brands that are chosen by many service members are G-Shock, Seiko, Luminox, Suunto, Marathon, and Garmin.

What is wearing two watches called? ›

The practice of “double wristing” or “two timing”—wearing two watches at the same time, with one on each wrist—isn't as crazy as it sounds.

Is it OK to wear an Apple Watch and a regular watch? ›

Now, if you are a serious watch enthusiast, and you want to reap the benefits of the Apple Watch, but you don't want to sacrifice the pleasures of wearing a mechanical watch, the only solution is to either wear two watches on one wrist, or one watch on each wrist (you can easily set up the Apple Watch for wear on ...

Why does William Shatner have two watches? ›

Why were you wearing two watches in some scenes? Local and space time. Would it be to monitor any differences in time between both watches in microgravity? A man with a watch knows what time it is.

Why do some people wear 2 watches? ›

So naturally, two watches can appear “better” than one in the sense of showing how much you value time. You can come off as someone who's well-focused and organized with their time. And even if you're not the most timely or punctual person, wearing two watches can still help you get better at using time.

What kind of watch did Elvis Presley wear? ›

In real life, Elvis had a watch collection that at times could rival his car collection. He wore Hamilton, Bulova and even Rolex. When he was in Germany in the U.S. Army, he wore a pink gold Omega Constellation (from 1958-1960) that had a black dial.

What was the watch Keanu Reeves wear in Constantine? ›

Constantine (2005) – Oris Modern Classic 7490

As our hero battles the devil, his Oris Modern Classic 7490, with a stainless steel case and guilloche dial, gets many memorable close-ups, notably as Constantine checks the time waiting for Satan to show up (the demon is never on time).

Who is the only 7 star general? ›

No person have ever been awarded or promoted to a seven-star rank, although some commentators might argue that General George Washington posthumously became a seven-star general in 1976 (see Part Seven).

Who is the only 6 star general? ›

So yes, there is an equivalent of a six-star general rank on the books in the US Military, but it has only been given to two people in history: John J. Pershing and George Washington, Generals of the Armies of the United States of America.

What watch does Navy SEALs wear? ›

The Luminox Navy SEAL watch is the timepiece that made Luminox famous. In 1992, the Assistant RDT&E Officer for the Navy SEALs, Nick North, was asked to seek a more dependable watch for night missions and found the solution when he discovered Luminox.

What is a watch lover called? ›

People interested in horology are called horologists. That term is used both by people who deal professionally with timekeeping apparatuses (watchmakers, clockmakers), as well as aficionados and scholars of horology.

What are watches with 3 dials called? ›

The three hands on a chronograph sub-dial are there to measure the time elapsed in seconds, minutes, and hours respectively. Once the chronograph is activated, the seconds' dial starts ticking, registering minutes and then hours if left on for long.

How many watches should a man own? ›

An average man needs at least three types of watches because not only does a watch tell time, but it is a valuable piece of accessories too. A man should have a dress, diving, and casual everyday watch. It is also good to have a tool watch for hobbyists, aside from the casual watch that is good for daily wear.

What wrist should you wear your Apple Watch on? ›

Just make sure your watch strap fits snugly. However, with all of that said, technically speaking, you should wear your watch on your non-dominant hand. That is to say, wear it on whatever hand you do not write with.

What arm do you wear a watch on? ›

The majority rule is to wear your watch on the opposite wrist from your dominant hand. For three-quarters or more of the world, the right hand is dominant. Those people would wear their watch on the left wrist.

Should you wear Apple Watch to bed? ›

Wear your watch to bed, and Apple Watch can estimate the time you spent in each sleep stage—REM, Core, and Deep—as well as when you might have woken up. When you wake up, open the Sleep app to learn how much sleep you got and see your sleep trends over the past 14 days.

Did Shatner pay for his trip? ›

Shatner didn't pay for his new historic record—he flew on the New Shepard rocket for free—but others can, and already have: Another Blue Origin passenger, Oliver Daemen, at age 18, became the youngest person (and first teenager) to reach space because his dad, a private-equity executive, bought him a seat.

Why did Nimoy stop talking to Shatner? ›

In Boldly Go, William Shatner describes how he and Leonard were not on speaking terms for years before Nimoy's death. Bill believes the cause of their falling out was the 2012 filming of his Star Trek documentary, The Captains.

Why does Fidel Castro wear two watches? ›

In total, the watches gave Castro a three-time zone overview by a glance on his wrist. The watches have been set for Havana, Washington, and Moscow time. Today Washington D.C. and Havana are in the same time zone (UTC -5), but between the years 1960 and 1964 Havana used the time zone UTC -4.

What is a dead second watch? ›

A deadbeat seconds, also called a dead seconds or jumping seconds, is a mechanical watch in which the seconds hand ticks once a second, like any cheap, garden-variety quartz watch.

Why do people put watches on their non dominant hand? ›

As a rule of thumb, most people wear a watch on their non-dominant hands. On the left hand for a right-handed person and right hand for lefties. The reason is simple, people don't want to mess up between the watch they wear and the things they do.

Why do watches skip 5 seconds? ›

Answer: This is an indication that it is time to replace the battery and is a feature designed to alert the wearer to this fact and is known as an end-of-life indicator (EOL).

Did Frank Sinatra wear a watch? ›

Sinatra even owned and wore several Bulova watches, among others. Always an inspiration—singing nearly until his death at the age of 82 in 1998— the Chairman of the Board continues to have a huge following and to play an important role in art and culture.

What watch did Michael Jackson wear? ›

Rolex – Various

Even after the Vacheron escapade, Jackson still kept buying watches. Mostly Rolexes. And at the same time Neverland Ranch was being parceled off to pay off the singer's mounting debts, he was photographed by the paparazzi buying Rolex watches for himself, his family, and his friends.

What watch did Marilyn Monroe wear? ›

One of her prized possessions was her Blancpain Art Deco-inspired 1930s co*cktail watch, believed to have been gifted to her by her husband, famed American playwright Arthur Miller.

What watch did Clint Eastwood wear in the line of fire? ›

Eastwood has long been known to be something of a watch aficionado, as he has worn his Rolex GMT Master Root Beer (reference number 16753) on screen in both Firefox, which was released in 1982, and In the Line of Fire, which was released in 1993 and remains one of Eastwood's most popular films to this day.

What watch did JFK wear? ›

TO A FUTURE PRESIDENT 1960

In the lead up to the 1960 presidential election, Senator John F. Kennedy received a prophetically engraved OMEGA Slimline watch from his friend Grant Stockdale. Following his victory, Kennedy wore the watch during his inauguration on 20 January 1961.

What watch does Leonardo DiCaprio wear in Inception? ›

Our favourite on-screen DiCaprio watch, however, is the TAG Heuer Carrera Automatic that he wears in the sci-fi film Inception.

Is there a 5 star female general? ›

Lori Robinson, (born January 27, 1959, Big Spring, Texas, U.S.), U.S. Air Force (USAF) general who served (2016–18) as commander of North American Aerospace Defense Command (NORAD) and United States Northern Command (NORTHCOM), becoming the highest-ranking woman in United States military history.

Who is the youngest 5 star general? ›

Alfred Gruenther
AllegianceUnited States
Service/branchUnited States Army
Years of service1918–1956
RankGeneral
11 more rows

Who is the youngest 1 star general? ›

He may be the youngest person to hold the rank of brigadier general in the US Army; at the age of 20, he remains the only general too young to vote for the president who appointed him.
...
Galusha Pennypacker
AllegianceUnited States of America Union
Service/branchUnited States Army Union Army
Years of service1861–1883
9 more rows

Who was last 5 star general? ›

In September 1950, Omar N. Bradley became the fifth Army general to be promoted to five-star rank. The five-star rank still exists, although no U.S. officers have held it since the death of General Bradley in 1981.

How many female 4 star generals are there? ›

Col. Dave Butler, the spokesman for General Milley, declined to comment for this article. General Van Ovost is already a four-star officer, leading the Air Force's Mobility Command at Scott Air Force Base in Illinois. Of the 43 four-star generals and admirals in the United States military, she is the only woman.

Are there any 4 star generals today? ›

There are currently 44 active-duty four-star officers in the uniformed services of the United States: 17 in the Army, three in the Marine Corps, eight in the Navy, 11 in the Air Force, two in the Space Force, two in the Coast Guard, and one in the Public Health Service Commissioned Corps.

What kind of watch does Trump wear? ›

Donald Trump wears Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse 3738​​

The Patek Philippe Golden Ellipse 3738 is seen on his wrist. The yellow gold watch has case dimensions of 31 x 35.5 mm. The blue dial watch has a unique case shape, being neither a perfect circle nor a square.

Why do special forces wear Rolex? ›

On trips to Southeast Asia, SF guys began to acquire Rolex watches at the PX's and at jewelers across the Pacific Rim. At the time, there was simply no better way to quickly spend your hard-earned combat pay. This trend became a tradition, and for good reason.

How much do Navy SEALs make in salary? ›

The salaries of Navy Seals in the US range from $15,929 to $424,998 , with a median salary of $76,394 .

What does SA mean in watches? ›

Rolex SA (for Société Anonyme, meaning limited company), the firm registered in 1920 in Geneva, is the commercial entity, which holds all the production and retail sites.

What is it called when someone watches everything you do? ›

spy on. phrasal verb. to watch someone secretly so that you know everything that they do.

What is a master watchmaker called? ›

A horologist designs, builds and repairs watches. Becoming a horologist requires patience, dedication and the completion of watchmaking school or an apprenticeship.

What is a holy grail watch? ›

May 25, 2022. Share. Anyone who's been collecting watches for a certain period of time is no doubt familiar with the concept of the grail watch. It's that ever-elusive, unobtainable dream watch, the one watch you aspire to add to your collection on some far-off day when funds aren't an issue and the world is your ...

What do you call the seconds hand on a watch? ›

The second, or sweep, hand moves relatively quickly, taking a full minute (sixty seconds) to make a complete rotation from 12 to 12. For every rotation of the second hand, the minute hand will move from one minute mark to the next. The minute hand rotates more slowly around the dial.

What do the 3 small faces on a watch mean? ›

Subdials are the mini-dials that sit on the watch face or dial. Also known as auxiliary dials, subdials serve different functions—like tracking lapsed seconds, minutes, and hours, the phases of the moon, a second time zone —across mechanical and specialty watches like chronographs, calendars, and GMT watches.

What is the average lifespan of a watch? ›

Generally the lifetime of a watch battery is between two and five years. Its longevity depends on the type of watch, its dimensions and the amount of energy required by the different functions. For example, a chronograph will have a higher energy consumption than a watch that only indicates hours, minutes and seconds.

What does wearing a watch say about a man? ›

You are dependable. Regardless of the style of watch, people who wear watches are seen as dependable and reliable. To others, seeing a watch on someone's wrist says that that person is punctual and values not only his or her time but other people's time. After all, time is money, friend.

Which brand is best for men's watches? ›

The Best Watch Brands To Wear And Gift To Others, From Starter Models To Total Splurges Worth Collecting
  • Best Overall Watch Brand: Omega.
  • Best Expensive Watch Brand: Breguet.
  • Best Affordable Watch Brand: Oris.
  • Best Luxury Watch Brand: Rolex.
  • Best Watch Brand For Men: Vacheron Constantin.
  • Best Watch Brand For Women: Cartier.
Oct 19, 2022

Why does Abhishek Bachan wear two watches? ›

Says Abhishek: “The trend of wearing two watches was started by my mom. Since I used to stay in boarding in Europe, she used to wear two watches to know the time of both the places. Later on even dad followed her style to be aware of both the time zones. They used to talk to me according to the time in Europe.

What watch does Charlie wear in Two and a Half Men? ›

Charlie used to wear a Rolex Yacht-Master Steel Platinum watch on Two and a Half Men. The reference 16622 combines a steel construction with a platinum rotatable time-lapse bezel.

Who wore two watches? ›

The Tender Reason Princess Diana Wore Two Watches For A Time

From her love of bamboo-handled Gucci bag, to Versace and Supergas, there is a particular trend – sported now by the likes of Chris Pratt and Billie Eilish that Diana was wearing in the '80s: the double watch.

What watches did they wear in the Meg? ›

Her character, Jaxx, a scientist and engineer, wears the Prospex Men's Solar Military Alarm Chronograph by Seiko. The 42mm watch seems to have been chosen largely for its bold look and the distinctive numerals that you also can find on more expensive timepieces by brands like Panerai and Bell & Ross.

Why did abishek and Karishma split? ›

"They were really not the 'made for each other' kind. There was constant bickering. Maybe that's how some people are.

Does Amitabh Bachchan wear 2 watches? ›

Amitabh Bachchan

The Bollywood legend loves collecting wristwatches and is prone to wearing two wristwatches, whenever his family flies abroad. He especially does this when Abhishek and Aishwarya are travelling abroad.

Is it acceptable to wear 2 watches? ›

Again: of course, you can! If you want (or need- to wear two watches, there is no reason why you should wear them separately on your two wrists. It actually may make more sense to wear them on a single wrist – if you need a wrist or arm to be clear from all accessory, for example.

What watch does Charlie Sheen wear in Platoon? ›

Standard military issue Timex watch was worn on the lapel of Charlie Sheen as Chris Taylor's, olive drab utility fatigue shirt. One of the key props in this cinematic classic, it hung from his collar and is visible in many scenes throughout the film.

What watch does Charlie Sheen wear in Wall Street? ›

Bud Fox, played by Charlie Sheen, wore a Lorus Quartz towards the beginning of the movie. As money started rolling and greed corrupting the protagonist Fox we can witness his evolution right on his wrist.

What watch did Charlie Watts wear? ›

Bucherer Archimedes Perpetual Calendar. Even this limited sample size confirms what you'd expect: that Watt's fine taste extended to his wristwear, too.

Who wore the first watch? ›

Wristwatches were worn only by women before the 20th century — and more for decoration than anything as practical as punctuality. The first wristwatch was made for Countess Koscowicz of Hungary by the Swiss watch manufacturer Patek Philippe in 1868, according to Guinness World Records.

Did Elvis Presley wear a watch? ›

In real life, Elvis had a watch collection that at times could rival his car collection. He wore Hamilton, Bulova and even Rolex. When he was in Germany in the U.S. Army, he wore a pink gold Omega Constellation (from 1958-1960) that had a black dial.

Who wore the first wristwatch? ›

According to the Guinness World Records, the first wristwatch was made in 1868 for Countess Koscowicz of Hungary, by Swiss watchmaker Patek Philippe. Initially intended as a piece of jewellery, the creation of wristwatch became a sought-after accessory for both ornamental and functional purposes.

What watch did Al Capone wear? ›

As one of the brand's first chronometer-certified models, at that time, Al Capone's Rolex Prince was a symbol of the company's extraordinary precision and high quality. Placed on the wrist of the top gangster, the Rolex Prince became a genuine status symbol from Rolex indicating style and luxury.

What is the most complex watch ever made? ›

The Franck Muller Aeternitas Maga makes its stab at beign the most complicated watch ever made with 36 complications and 1483 components.

What was Einstein's watch? ›

Albert Einstein's Longines Gold Wristwatch

16, 1931.” This 14-karat yellow gold, tonneau-shaped timepiece was presented to Einstein by Rabbi Edgar Magnin at a luncheon in Los Angeles on February 16th, 1931.

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