bigcaddy64
Hero Member
It was hard to find info on them both but if anybody is interested, the L. J. Stands for Lewis Joseph. It took me a long time to track down the ship info and that was for Jr, not Sr.
Stecher Jr. was Commander of the USS Melville from 12/27/40-12/20/42. The ship was a destroyer tender that aided with mine sweeping duties off the coast of normany and helped repair the damaged land/amphib based vehivles used in the invasion
It was hard to find info on them both but if anybody is interested, the L. J. Stands for Lewis Joseph. It took me a long time to track down the ship info and that was for Jr, not Sr.
How did something like this end up in goodwill? I just can't imagine a family like this would let it get tossed out.
This is VERY true. Unless the family has died out, I can't imagine this was supposed to end up at Goodwill. Perhaps, you can find and contact the family and your reward for returning it to the family would be larger than any amount you would get from selling it or putting money into repairs. The satisfaction of doing so would be simply immense, unmeasurable, and priceless. I wouldn't be able to put a value on how good that would make me feel. T.
I've googled the family name. I believe that if they were army/navy, they would have lived out in VA Beach/Norfolk, which makes sense why it ended up where it did. I have an offer from a collector for $2300. My jeweler friend said it is fair and to take it. Before I accept, I am running it by the guy at the other jeweler who also collects Rolex and see what he offers. He originally said between 2-3K. BUT, he said he wishes it wasn't engraved; he doesn't care about the history. The first guy does.
The only thing I see about that which is fine. But if you were to go this route I would not say you found them at Goodwill. Any thrift store, okay but if you throw out there you bought it at Goodwill they're going to want to know where. Then your honey hole will be gone! That store will be a good will online store as well. Personally I have never had any good experience trying to return something to somebody. That I have bought like this. Giving a guy his wallet with all his money and it was a bad experience too. Giving another lady a bag full of diamonds she lost that was a good experience but other than that I have never had much luck returning something to somebody and them being nice about it. I can understand if it was stolen and I stole it they would be mad. But if they're not looking for it... It's probably not lost...
I have no idea about the actual value but that line about being upset about the inscription is just negotiation.
I've read stories of Allied pilots referring to their Rolex watches during WWII. Not issued, but personal purchase during the War. Does anyone know the name/style of the models then, and/or have photos of what those watches look like?
Answer:
for members of the Armed Forces when they purchased a Rolex
watch. The ads read "Rolex Oyster - Used by more R.A.F. pilots
than any other watch". Names included (not limited to) the
Oyster Raleigh, Oyster Commander, Rolex Oyster Perpentual
Self-Winding, Rolex Oyster Chronometer, Sky Rocket, Victory,
Wellington, The Royal, Seaforth, London Chronometer, Commander,
Centregraph, Lincoln, Regent, Lipton, Recorda, Pioneer, Royalite
and Pall Mall.