Marilyn’s watch – purchased by Blancpain on an auction in 2016 – is an elongated Art Deco piece with an exceptional baguette-shaped movement under an opaline dial surrounded by 71 brilliant-cut and 2 marquise diamonds. It was made sometime between 1945 and 1960, and was probably given to her by Frank Sinatra. Other potential suitors that may have purchased the watch with yellow god applied indexes are Joe DiMaggio, Henry Miller, or her first husband James Dougherty. The latter is however the least likely since they split up in 1946 – before Norma Jean Mortensen became Marilyn Monroe with the World.
Of course we love it when we can prove historical facts and be absolutely certain. But this can be tricky, especially in watches. Many archives were destroyed in the Quartz War, or simply didn’t migrate when companies changed hands over the years. And here is where I would like to give kudos to Blancpain – they don’t have a problem saying “this we know,” and “this we don’t know.” This transparency is a fresh breeze compared with some other brands that, for instance, simply decide in a somewhat revisionist manner which year something happened if different historical sources point to different years. Or, the most blatant thing I ever heard of: A historical brand found a pocket watch that was most likely made by its founder. This was perfect, as they didn’t have one. And to make sure that nobody would question it, they made an engraving in the 21st century, pretending that the engraving was historical.
Any day I would prefer to hear “I don’t know,” or “I cannot say exactly,” rather than being duped by executives flogging a streamlined elevator pitch.
But, as we all know: truth is becoming a commodity even more rare and more expensive than antimatter, of which CERN estimates would cost around 50 Trillion CHF to produce 1 gram. But, just like with antimatter, no matter what you are willing to pay, you cannot buy truth. Truth has unlimited value, but not a price. It is something that comes from within. It comes with honor. Honor, unlike morale, follows an inner compass. It has got nothing to do with what others would say about you, or about abiding to a set of fixed rules.
Unfortunately, we live in a time where truth has been dissolved. Truth has been dissolved for power for power’s sake, truth has been dissolved for money, truth has been dissolved to create an ever-widening gap.
Right now, there are so many changes in motion around the world: And as we are rewriting the rules for business, politics, media, and communication, could we perhaps also do what we can for truth and honor to be restored?
