[Janne]

Re: A few historical figures and their watches

Gandhi was a laid back man!
It seems he did not need the Alarm functon, or the stressing Seconds hand, so he had the Hands removed!!!

Edit: joke. The watch had a hard workinglife. Just look on the lume on the hands!

The Queen of England has a JLC, the model with the cal 101

 

[Janne]

Re: A few historical figures and their watches

In Havana? How did it get there, as Cuba was Spanish???

The Swedish king has a Sjoo-Sandstrom.

 

[Janne]

I recently read Endurance: Shackelton's Incredible Voyage. There's a riveting part where he and his team sail through some of the most treacherous water on earth in an open row boat navigating only with a sextant and a chronometer.

That was the standard way of navigating. Nothing difficult there.

But the seamanship, that is truly amazing!

BTW, please note that I joked about the laid back Gandhi.
As a Lawyer, not much laidback there!!!
His watch just had some hard times....

There is a new book out about our dear Mahatma... I have not read it yet, but it seems he was different man.

Churchill was interesting too, but for different reasons. True British aristocracy, failed naval minister in WW2. Enjoyed hid drink a bit too much. Early onset of dementia. (Presenile dementia)
Despite his failings, he became the best leader UK could wish for during WW2.

 

[Janne]

I did edit that post, as Mahatma has a semi religious following. I do not want to upset our Indian friends!!

 

[Janne]

It was very skilled, but those guys were pro's at doing celestial navigation. In WW2 the germans did the same from submarines. They pitched as hell too.

 

[Janne]

Of course it is so, as the historical persons are just like us, with our positive and negative sides.
They became "legends" well after their death.

the new book about gandi shows this, but unfortunately it may be a too candid in it's revelation. so far, it has been banned in one Indian state.

 

[Janne]

Maybe in normal conditions, but from a rowboat on the roughest seas on earth in sub-zero temperatures? I imagine that was extremely difficult. Plus he could only take a sighting when there was a break in the clouds, which wasn't often. The navigator had to keep the watch on a chain around his neck inside his clothing to avoid it getting soaked and/or frozen. Without a working chronometer they would have almost surely died at sea.

The Vikings travveled all around the European "Peninsula", including the notorious Bay of Biscayne. The went by ship from Norway o all the Islands in the North Atlanic, to Iceland, Greenland nd Northern part of the Americas. North Atlantic is a hellish sea.Their boats were open, and could not sail against the wind. They had no accurate compass, but a very crude one (science thinks). No way to measure time.

The Phenicians and ancient Basques did something similar.

I do not want to diminish his incredible feat, just get it into perspective!

 

[Janne]

The Archduchess of Austria, Marie Antonia ordered a Breguet, but did not get it before the plebs killed her.

That is a copy, as the originl was stolen, recovered and wil soon be restored.

She is also known as Marie Antoinette.