The Beatles and Their Watches - Part II: The Accurists
All four Beatles appear to have worn 9ct gold Accurist dress watches from the early 1960s. These were British manufactured mechanical watches with Swiss 21-jewel hand winding movements. Relatively inexpensive and mass manufactured, vintage versions of these are readily available online from Antique Atlas if you’re interested.
Here are photos of Paul McCartney, John Lennon and Ringo Starr wearing their Accurist wrist watches and here is a version that I picked up and am wearing today (which is what made me want to write this post). From time to time I gift these watches to my Beatle nerd friends (we are legion).
Wm Shakespeare
The Beatles and Their Watches - Part I: The Pateks
The Beatles and Their Watches - Part II: The Accurists
The Beatles and Their Watches - Part III: Cartier & Breitling
The Beatles and Their Watches - Part IV: Ringo Starr
The Beatles and Their Watches - Part V: The Apple Watch
The Beatles and Their Watches – Part VI: Sir Paul’s Casio
The Beatles and Their Watches – Part VII: The Pocket Watches
The Beatles and Their Watches - Part VIII: Raymond Weil
The Beatles and Their Watches - Part IX: Joey Ramone's Apple Watch
The Beatles and Their Watches - Part X: Jimmie Nicol's Watch
The Beatles and Their Watches - Part XI: Yellow Submarine
The Beatles and Their Watches - Part XII: John Lennon's STOLEN Patek Found! (Updated)
All the world’s a stage we’re going through.
It's almost as if a simple gold watch with a black leather strap goes with anything.
(Historical knowledge that we seem to have forgotten, part 1288)
William, you and Pete Best never get the credit you deserve for being with the Beatles.
Beautiful watch and great Beatle trivia.
I also appreciate you linking the Antique Atlas web site - almost got me buying watches too small for my wrist. Much temptation there.
Huge Beatles fan...what's your favorite album?
Mine changes from time to time, but generally for top to bottom greatness it's either Abbey Road or Revolver. Love the White Album too, but definitely some tracks on there that are once and done or rarely listened to (Number 9 please...Number 9).
Funnily enough, Sgt Pepper is not in my top five at all. Some great tunes on that album, but a bit circus-y probably because it's mostly McCartney who really likes that circus beat.
I am an even bigger fan of Badfinger...they took the Beatles sound into the realm of power pop and together with Big Star really created that next wave of pop music.
The Accurist got me into smaller watches. A different era.
The worst Beatles album is still great. I don’t rank them. I just enjoy them. Monster musicians. Monster composers. Lennon and McCartney had monster harmonies.
This week my mum found my grandfather’s watches and gifted them to me. He must have been a Beatles fan!
YES! Clearly Grandad was just out of the frame when the photo was taken!
I love this article. I'm now on the hunt for one of these! Will post on WRUR if I find one 😀
Found a Sgt. Pepper / Magical Mystery Tour-era shot. Can't see much of the watch, though.
Found a Sgt. Pepper / Magical Mystery Tour-era shot. Can't see much of the watch, though.
Looks like Magical Mystery Tour to me. And the hippo is wearing that watch on his right wrist on the cover! The Hippo was Paul.
What do you reckon Ringo is wearing here, @88MilesPerHour ?
What do you reckon Ringo is wearing here, @88MilesPerHour ?
Great "Ed Sullivan Era" shot!
So hard to tell. Pretty classic design. Maybe an Elgin?
Great "Ed Sullivan Era" shot!
So hard to tell. Pretty classic design. Maybe an Elgin?
It might be this same watch. Elgin? Accurist? Omega?
It might be this same watch. Elgin? Accurist? Omega?
Oh cool - it looks very different in color (of course he had something flamboyant.)
Some kind of logo up top, yes maybe Omega or even a Longines.
Such a cool watch, I’m looking to add one to my collection but I’m struggling to find the exact one they had online. Do you know what the exact model is? Thanks a lot Will!
Such a cool watch, I’m looking to add one to my collection but I’m struggling to find the exact one they had online. Do you know what the exact model is? Thanks a lot Will!
Hey @Mattc01,
I am sorry, I do not know the exact model worn by each Beatle. It looks to me like McCartney's has no numerals - only markers.
Shakespeare
Oh cool - it looks very different in color (of course he had something flamboyant.)
Some kind of logo up top, yes maybe Omega or even a Longines.
I think that photo is colourised, so it is probably overly yellow (submarine) in the image.
YES! Clearly Grandad was just out of the frame when the photo was taken!
Everyone’s allowed two grandads.