# Mad Men (TV show) watches



## bjohnson (Nov 28, 2006)

I've screen captured a copuple images of watches from the TV show Mad Men.

I'm going to post them here and if I spot some more, I'll post them on this thread which will rotate back to the top of the thread list.

It would be interesting to ID them.

S01E2 - gold watch from Don Draper to his wife








Some forums say this is a quartz watch

S01E05 - the best shot of Don Draper's watch that I could find








Someone has said this is an Omega

If anyone can find a match, post a photo of it.


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## Watchbreath (Feb 12, 2006)

:think: Ladies, probably a Benrus and the mans, LeCoultre.


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## Eeeb (Jul 12, 2007)

This show is noted in the trades for the authenticity of its sets... I assume this extends to the wardrobe too.


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## Watchbreath (Feb 12, 2006)

:think: I saw a can of Hills Bros. Coffee in their breakroom two years ago, a 
mistake.


Eeeb said:


> This show is noted in the trades for the authenticity of its sets... I assume this extends to the wardrobe too.


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## dougcee (Feb 7, 2009)

Watchbreath, correct me if I'm wrong but Hill's Bros. coffee has been around since dirt. You can take that to the bank cause I'm "old as the hills too", not really but I am 99.9% sure I'm right on this one. Cheers!


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## Watchbreath (Feb 12, 2006)

:think: Back then, Hills Bros. was a San Francisco brand, what they should have had in the breakroom was Chock Full o' Nuts or maybe Chase and 
Sanborn.


dougcee said:


> Watchbreath, correct me if I'm wrong but Hill's Bros. coffee has been around since dirt. You can take that to the bank cause I'm "old as the hills too", not really but I am 99.9% sure I'm right on this one. Cheers!


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## nsmike (Jun 21, 2009)

Watchbreath said:


> :think: Back then, Hills Bros. was a San Francisco brand, what they should have had in the breakroom was Chock Full o' Nuts or maybe Chase and
> Sanborn.


I'm from Massachusetts originally and remember Hills Bros. when I was growing up. Hills Bros. might have been from SF but it was a national brand.


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## bjohnson (Nov 28, 2006)

*You guys need to start a vintage CIS forum*

for coffee history enthusiasts


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## Hartmut Richter (Feb 13, 2006)

*Re: You guys need to start a vintage CIS forum*



bjohnson said:


> for coffee history enthusiasts


Don't we have the Café for that?!!:-d

Hartmut Richter


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## Watchbreath (Feb 12, 2006)

Was it a national brand in 1961?


nsmike said:


> I'm from Massachusetts originally and remember Hills Bros. when I was growing up. Hills Bros. might have been from SF but it was a national brand.


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## mrsnak (Mar 17, 2007)

According to the Hill's Bros website, it wasn't until 1964 that they "surged" into New York.
Show this season is 1962.

Interesting that that the stylists would have chosen a Benrus watch for her (not expensive at the time). JLC for him I can sort of understand, but this seems too much of an obscure luxury brand for his character. He was a guy from (recent) blue-class background. 
Nice watch, though.
What I want to know is what model Hamilton Electric Pete got.


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## Watchbreath (Feb 12, 2006)

The show with the coffee can took place in 1961, as to Benrus, just a guess, but Cyma keeps nagging me. This past Sunday, there's a calendar on
a wall, May June, 1963. Thinking back, I was planning coming home on
leave then. Also, the guy who rolled Draper was worried about getting
drafted for Viet Nam, that wasn't a problem yet.


mrsnak said:


> According to the Hill's Bros website, it wasn't until 1964 that they "surged" into New York.
> Show this season is 1962.
> 
> Interesting that that the stylists would have chosen a Benrus watch for her (not expensive at the time). JLC for him I can sort of understand, but this seems too much of an obscure luxury brand for his character. He was a guy from (recent) blue-class background.
> ...


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## bjohnson (Nov 28, 2006)

I don't think the ladies watch is a Benrus. The name on the dial isn't long enough. 

It also isn't featured long enough to see the action of the second hand which makes me wonder how somebody on another forum identified it as a quartz.

I posted the clearest photo I could find even though it is seen in many scenes throughout the first season (at least).


PS - Other shows in season 1 featured Westclox and Sheffield wall clocks.


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## nsmike (Jun 21, 2009)

mrsnak said:


> According to the Hill's Bros website, it wasn't until 1964 that they "surged" into New York.
> Show this season is 1962.


I was thinking more 64/65 My parents usually bought Maxwell House, but would often buy Hills Bros. on sale, that would fit with a 1964 surge.:-!


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## bjohnson (Nov 28, 2006)

Another shot









A watch worn by one of the writers


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## Francois Boucher (Feb 15, 2006)

Later in the second & third seasons, after Draper makes a bundle when the Company is sold, he appears to be sporting a rectangular gold watch, that I believe to be a Rolex Prince... or maybe a Cartier? Although, on "The Fog" (III-5, @ 00:16:06), the watch appears to have a hinged crystal (...or hinged something...), that he opens in order to wind the watch... Hamilton Reverso? 

Sorry, I don't have pictures. I can't capture them on my computer screen!

On "The Fog" (@ 00:07:00), Ken Cosgrove brags about his Hamilton Electric.

I guess Don Draper's watches might be American? Bulova, Hamilton, or even Timex? Even a cheap imitation gold-plated thingy... That might explain why, in episode III-7 (last Sunday's episode) he wakes up at 7:23, in a cheap motel, all black & blue after being knocked out and robbed by his hitchhikers, but still with his watch on his left wrist... ;-)


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## bjohnson (Nov 28, 2006)

Some more shots:


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## bjohnson (Nov 28, 2006)

The logo under the 12:00 keeps making me think it's a Unversal Geneve but I haven't found a match

It definitely only has one crown


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## bjohnson (Nov 28, 2006)

Some photos from Season 2

s02e01 - I can't remember who was wearing this watch. It was one of the regulars .. I think Ken Cosgrove









s02e02 - Don Draper is wearing a rectangular watch this season (unfortunately mostly blocked by the logo)









another from s02e02 - another shot. It looks like a white dial in this shot but must be refelction. It looks like ablack dial in most shots


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## bjohnson (Nov 28, 2006)

bjohnson said:


> Some more shots:


An example of a possible lead for Don Draper's Season 1 watch (although the dial colours are reversed)








http://www.yorktime.com/search?cid=63:sku=314

Another possibility








http://vintagewatchrestoration.com/php/enlargewatchimage.php?itemno=OMEW0000477-0.jpg


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## Watchbreath (Feb 12, 2006)

:-s I'll guess Gruen for the top one.


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## Watchbreath (Feb 12, 2006)

:-( The latest issue of Entertainment has a feature on Mad Men and it's
about the items that are used on the show, but they left out watches!


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## bjohnson (Nov 28, 2006)

Some more Season 2 photos


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## Watchbreath (Feb 12, 2006)

:think: Ah, I see a Reverso there.


bjohnson said:


> Some more Season 2 photos


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## ulackfocus (Oct 17, 2008)

Why does the Hamilton Endicott keep popping into my head every time I look at this picture?



bjohnson said:


>


A shot of the Endicott taken by Tom Diss - from his collection:


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## bjohnson (Nov 28, 2006)

*Re: Mad Men (TV show) watches - Season 3*

Some Season 3 photos















































__
Sensitive content, not recommended for those under 18
Show Content


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## Francois Boucher (Feb 15, 2006)

*Re: Mad Men (TV show) watches - Season 3*



bjohnson said:


>


That's the one! On "The Fog" (@ 00:07:00), Ken Cosgrove brags about his Hamilton Electric.


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## mrsnak (Mar 17, 2007)

Hamilton Ventura. Probably the most iconic Hamilton electric


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## Beau8 (May 24, 2008)

Looks like wardrobe scoured the internet in search of props! Vintage watches are readily available and can be found for less than the price of a new vintage looking piece~Cheers! ;-)


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## mrsnak (Mar 17, 2007)

Beau8 said:


> Looks like wardrobe scoured the internet in search of props! Vintage watches are readily available and can be found for less than the price of a new vintage looking piece~Cheers! ;-)


The show set and wardrobe designers scour the 'net for a lot, but a nice original Ventura is not that cheap. They wouldn't have sought out a new vintage look-alike watch for anything. Maybe one that didn't run, but even then...


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## gatorcpa (Feb 11, 2006)

As far as Don Draper's watch is concerned, it is a Reverso. Here is an interview posted on the "Mad Men" website to confirm:

http://blogs.amctv.com/mad-men/2008/10/qa-gay-perello.php

However, this watch is not historically correct as the Jaeger-LeCoultre brand was not avaliable in the US and don't think that Longines-Wittnauer imported Reversos at that time.

A better choice would have been a Futurematic or any one of the dozens of LeCoultre dress watches.



















I thought the reference to the "Hamilton Electric" was really cool. b-)

Take care,
gatorcpa


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## mrsnak (Mar 17, 2007)

Couldn't resist posting on the AMC blog about this.


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## Caliper1681 (Mar 13, 2008)

Thanks for starting such an interesting thread BJohnson. Love the show and all the nice watches shown.:-!


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## PC1477 (Mar 8, 2010)

Here is a screen shot of Don Draper and his watch from season one.
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/a...wristwatch.jpg

This is my Elgin Galaxie. Which is French made.
http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/a...unnion/055.jpg

The lugs are different and the Elgin has a date window but besides that I think its pretty close. The face and the numbers are the same as far as I can tell.

Tell me what you think.


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## mrsnak (Mar 17, 2007)

PC1477 said:


> Here is a screen shot of Don Draper and his watch from season one.
> http://i903.photobucket.com/albums/a...wristwatch.jpg
> 
> This is my Elgin Galaxie. Which is French made.
> ...


I'd sure say it was the same dial, but also remember that a costumer, not a watch enthusiast, that chose it. They likely found it either online or at a local vintage watch store. They were more going for a look that fit the era and his clothes than probably trying to determine if it was completely 100% real.

The Hamilton Ventura was an iconic watch, and you know that the costumer who did the research flipped when they saw this.


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## DaBaeker (Jan 29, 2008)

bjohnson said:


> I've screen captured a copuple images of watches from the TV show Mad Men.
> 
> I'm going to post them here and if I spot some more, I'll post them on this thread which will rotate back to the top of the thread list.
> 
> ...












This is my Omega- re-cased by my uncle who was an Omega dealer at the New Jersey Shore. from the 1920s to 1960s. So in some ways it doesnt make sense that Don would have a re-cased womens pocket watch. But I was told that when re-casing pocket watches was at its peak popularity in the 30s to 50s my uncle used only Omega stock dials/hands/ parts/etc. on Omega re-cases. But still-you can see my watch is similar but I have no idea if he [uncle Henry] was trying to copy a current Omega style or model. [The serial # of the still accurate movement is 3,520,xxx which puts it around 1903-04] . I have looked through as much source material as I could to try and find a stock Omega with the same exact dial. I've come close but never found an exact match.
Dons watch is actually the closest I have seen. except for the lack of the sub-sec. dial -Don's watch has the same style lettering and dial design though I can't make out the hands while mine are fairly typical Omega 'dauphine' style.

Anyway-I posted this before I got any further down the thread so maybe I find some answers that make sense after I post this.

Also-I should add that I have worked in the past as a prop-master and locations manager for film and vid. If I saw this (my particular) Omega being sold in a vintage watch store and didnt have the knowledge I do about re-casing/re-dials/etc I would definitely be tempted to pick this out as a nice looking Omega for an up and coming adman. And the Reverso? A great choice for Don after he made partner. (as for its availability of certain brands like JLC in the US? My early 60s Rolex was bought in Switz by grandfather for an uncle. So -really nice watches did make it over here from Europe)


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## gatorcpa (Feb 11, 2006)

DaBaeker said:


> And the Reverso? A great choice for Don after he made partner. (as for its availability of certain brands like JLC in the US? My early 60s Rolex was bought in Switz by grandfather for an uncle. So -really nice watches did make it over here from Europe)


Here's my take on the Draper Reverso from last October:

https://www.watchuseek.com/showthread.php?p=2326743#poststop

It works for me. Since then I was able to pick up a nice early 1960's Hamilton Electric as my "Mad Men" watch:










It's a Gemini II. Even the name is 1960's! b-)

Take care,
gatorcpa


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## AdamR (Jan 12, 2010)

Good article on Don Draper's watch in season 4.

The weird thing is to me this explorer looks like a recent one in the close up shot. It looks like the mast 36mm.

Welcome To RolexMagazine.com...Home Of Jake's Rolex World Magazine..Optimized for iPad and iPhone: Rolex Super-Coolness: Jon Hamm MAD MEN Rolex


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## mrsnak (Mar 17, 2007)

I want to say that another poster on this forum used to be his college roommate and texted him about the Explorer he was wearing for a TV guide shoot photo I posted some months back. Speculation was that a costumer dressed him in a a later model. Jon responded and it turns out he's quite the WIS and this was his period Explorer.


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## mebiuspower (Sep 24, 2009)

If I'm not mistaken Don was wearing a vintage Omega with black dial on yesterday's episode (S5E6).

EDIT - Screen captured at 38:01 mark:


adult upload image


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## TheJohnP (Jan 28, 2010)

It certainly looks like one to me.
Thanks for that screen grab, I was curious as to what he was wearing on last night's episode!


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## Kittysafe (Nov 28, 2011)

I was told that Don's watch from season one is a vintage Rolex Cellini


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## A_R_E_S (Dec 31, 2011)

lets guess Peggy's watch:think:


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## gatorcpa (Feb 11, 2006)

Looks relatively large for a ladies watch, so my guess is that it is not. A lot of companies made very fancy cases for men's dress watches in the 1960's. Best guess would be Hamilton, but there were probably thousands of similar models made by Swiss and American manufacturers.

gatorcpa


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## Steve O. (May 4, 2007)

The watch worn this past season (Season 6) by new partner Ted, appears to be a gold Movado Datron El Primero. If so, someone didn't do their homework as the El Primero wasn't introduced until early 1969, and the season ended at Thanksgiving 1968. Jeez, I need to get a life...

This is the best pic that I could find.


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## Manks (Oct 22, 2012)

mebiuspower said:


> If I'm not mistaken Don was wearing a vintage Omega with black dial on yesterday's episode (S5E6).
> 
> EDIT - Screen captured at 38:01 mark:
> 
> ...


I had not seen this shot before, but had heard that he wore an Omega Seamaster Deville. I am glad to see it, as I have one very, very similar that was my Father's, who in 1965 was an advertising executive as well - albeit on the client side.


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## Eeeb (Jul 12, 2007)

Manks said:


> I had not seen this shot before, but had heard that he wore an Omega Seamaster Deville. I am glad to see it, as I have one very, very similar that was my Father's, who in 1965 was an advertising executive as well - albeit on the client side.
> 
> View attachment 1135187


A new crystal would amazingly improve the look. Nice heirloom


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## Manks (Oct 22, 2012)

I know that I need to do that soon. It actually does not look bad at all live and in person, the big photo makes every scratch show.



Eeeb said:


> A new crystal would amazingly improve the look. Nice heirloom


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