What kind of watch did Albert Einstein, the physicist known for his theory of relativity, wear?

What kind of watches do top celebrities choose? Celebrity Watch Hunting is a serial column that takes a snapshot of celebrities from around the world. This time, we'll be looking at the watch worn by Albert Einstein, who is known as "the greatest physicist of the 20th century."

albert einstein

　Albert Einstein was born on March 14, 1879, to Jewish parents in Ulm, Baden-Württemberg, southwestern Germany. He is a physicist known for proposing the groundbreaking "special theory of relativity," which states that time is relative, and the "general theory of relativity," which explains the relationship between gravity and time. Einstein developed numerous theories about time and created the concept of "space-time," in which time and space are one, which greatly advanced the concept, but what kind of watch did he wear during his lifetime?

　This time, we focused on a photo of Einstein enjoying a fishing trip, wearing a Longines watch with a 14K yellow gold tonneau case and three hands with a small seconds dial on his left wrist.

Longines 1929 Tonneau-Shaped Watch

　This watch was made in 1929 and was a gift from Edgar Magnin, a Jewish leader in Los Angeles, California, during Einstein's visit to the United States. The case back is engraved with "PROF. ALBERT EINSTEIN LOS ANGELES FEB.15.1931."

　It is unclear why Magnin chose this watch, but it was certainly a fitting choice to honor Einstein, who was already internationally known at the time for his theory of relativity. Longines was renowned as the brand with the most awards at world's fairs, including the Grand Prix at the 1900 Paris World's Fair. It must have been recognized as a reliable watchmaker, both in name and in reality. The watch presented to Einstein was a model equipped with a round caliber 10.86 N with a bimetallic balance and a Breguet hairspring.

　At the time this watch was given to Einstein, he was living in Bern, Switzerland. As an aside, it is said that Einstein was inspired to develop the "special theory of relativity" after noticing that the hands of the Zytglogge (Bern's clock tower) were stationary while he was riding a bus. With the shadow of World War II looming, and Hitler coming to power, Einstein, who was Jewish, left his beloved Bern and emigrated to California, USA, where Magnin was based. This was just two years after he received the watch.

　In fact, about 10 years later, Einstein was seen wearing a different round watch. It seems that his tonneau-shaped Longines watch was not broken, but one wonders what he was thinking when he changed his watch.

　This tonneau-shaped Longines was auctioned by Antiquorum in New York in 2004. The photo of the watch was taken at the time of the auction. The estimated winning bid was between US$25,000 and US$35,000, but the actual winning bid was US$596,000.

　Finally, I would like to add one more point. Ulm, Germany, Einstein's birthplace, is also where the editorial team of the German edition, the headquarters of Chronos, is based. It may be a bit of a stretch, but it is a place where I feel a connection with Einstein in the commonality of observing time.