spy watch info

[brevority]

Can anybody help me with information regarding a spy watch that was made by CalRad in the early 50's? Literature, advertisements, instructions, etc. Cost, etc.
Thanks,
Marty

[wesblack]

Wow,

I beleive I do have some information on this item at work. If I remember correctly this was a microhone with a
1/8" wire to connect to a recorder or transmitter. Its amazing alot of Calrad vintage products are starting to show up on E-bay and other websites on the web. We use to have some of these items and many others in the warehouse in the early 80's and at the time we just disposed of it all. But some of these products like Calrads 1950s style studio and radio broadcast microphones are becoming valuable collectors items.

Let me see what information on this item I can provide for you this week.





Wes Black \ Calrad

[brevority]

Thanks for response, Wes. I am looking forward to any information.
Marty

[Jay]

Wow, stuff for the Smithsonian

[wesblack]

Marty,

I was unable to find any owners manuals or literature for this piece, but I remember unfortunately discarding some of these in the early eighties. Were you participating in an E-Bay auction regarding this piece because the president of Calrad was and did eventually win the final bid. I showed him your post and he found it strange that someone here on the forum was interested in this piece at the same time he was bidding on one. In any case we received it a few days ago.

We didnt realize the value that these types of items would be worth today. The reason behind getting this item and others is that Calrad is creating a display at our offices in Los Angeles to show all of our older vintage products from the 1950s, 1960s.

If something turns up at the office I will post it here. But I did find this interesting post on the web.

http://www.mwrforum.net/forums/showthread.php?t=14074





Wes Black \ Calrad

[brevority]

Wes, Yes I was bidding on the same piece that your associate won. I gave up at around $200 because I did not know anything about that particular piece. I thought that it was perhaps something that Ek may have bastardized and would not really be known by the spy item collecting community. Of course now I know that it was, in fact, something that you guys probably made hundreds of.
I am a vintage watch collector that stumbled on to these pieces around 10 years ago. I now have 5 of these "spy watches" - consisting of 2 Hanhart's, 2 Protona and 1 marked simply 17 jewels on the dial. (this was made by Protona also) Additionally, I have collected 5 of the wire recorders that these watches were used with. (Minifon)
I imagine that Calrad probably made some kind of a small wire recorder also, or perhaps the watch was just an accessory to the Minifon that was so popular at the time?
Price and value seems to be all over the place on this stuff. However, 4 to 5 years ago I sold one of my original Hanhart spy watches to a military collector in Japan for close to $1,000 without the recorder.
Thanks for your help on this piece, and I also appreciate the link to that military site. If I ever find anything for your museum I will be glad to let you guys know.
Best Regards,
Marty