Watch Discussion (moved thread)

[Omlor]

Hey everybody,

And now we get this!

"If you are interested in buying the watch, then you should write to Albert Johnson at the following post box outlining your offer:
Box #252, Royal Mail, Wallasey Delivery Office, Manor Road, Wallasey, CH45 5AA."

Amazing.

I thought Albert firmly believed he had the real Jack the Ripper's watch. An authentic piece of history! And now he wants to sell it?

Hmmmmmmmm.

Perhaps he's not quite as convinced as he once claimed that he owns the genuine article.

I can't imagine why.

Just like I can't imagine why the further necessary tests called for all those years ago by the first scientist to examine the thing have never been carried out.

Still, he's a nice guy and all. Caroline promises us that.

But now the watch is for sale. If only it were the real thing.

Of course, it's probably at least worth more than the diary, since it's an actual watch and all while the diary is just a worthless modern hoax scribbled into an old book.

The game never ends, does it?

The cow gets milked again and again and again...

Ah, well,

--John

[Maria]

Watch initials

Hi John:

I could not help noticing that on the back of the case of the watch, the letters: J. O. have been professionally engraved.

Perhaps for John Omlor ?

I think they want to sell you this watch John. It even has your initials !

-Maria

[Omlor]

As a famous French person once said...

"Well I'll ask 'im, but I don't think he'll be too keen on the idea. 'E's already got one, you see."

I've already got one. With the same initials.

Oh, and the one that's for sale...

It's a hoax.

--John

[Chris Jones]

Chris Jones & Company,


This looks very interesting and nicely done. I'm interested in Florence, and this is an attractive place to read up on her. I love the page-turning sounds! Sounds just like the journals and books in the Myst games. Good luck, all, with the site.

Celesta

Thank you everybody for the positive comments. Please remember we want to improve the website, so if you have any articles, pictures, relevant items, please feel free to send them.

As for the watch!

Albert Johnson is not a young man. He and his wife have recently celebrated their 50th wedding anniversary. It is my understanding, that neither his daughter nor his grand-daughter, want the watch. Therefore, he has little option but to sell it.

I do not know whether the watch is genuine, though I am sure all of you out there will have your own opinion on that. However, I do believe that Albert is an honest man. He could have sold the watch a long time ago for a lot of money but decided not to. He stands by the story that he has always told, that he bought the watch in a shop near his house. I, for one, believe him.

Best wishes, Chris Jones

[Graham]

Chris,

In everything I've ever read about the Diary, and in personal discussions with at least one person who knew/knows him, Albert Johnson comes across as a man of total integrity. I do understand the reasons you give as to why he now wishes to sell the watch, and I wish him every success in this endeavour.

Cheers,

Graham

[Jenni Shelden]

Chris,

he could donate it to a museum, but then again i guess it might be tested if he did that

Jenni

[Christine]

I for one would like to see Patrica Cornwall buy it and have it tested....

More seriously though, I hope someone with means and interest does buy the watch and have it tested. That would be a good solution for all, I think.

[Maria]

Victoria:

Can I ask something from you ?

Your brother as an orologist could you ask him please to see this watch and if he recognizes it as the watch which he sold to Stephen Parks ?

I know you do not wish to involve your brother in all this, but I´m just
very curious what he has to say.

Thank You.

-Maria

[Victoria]

That watch

Victoria:

Can I ask something from you ?

Your brother as an orologist could you ask him please to see this watch and if he recognizes it as the watch which he sold to Stephen Parks ?

I know you do not wish to involve your brother in all this, but I´m just
very curious what he has to say.

Thank You.

-Maria

Hello Maria,

I have just recently sent my brother some better photos of the watch .. that
Steve had sent me to show him.
I am curious also to see what he has to say, I shall let you know as soon as
he gets back to me.
I'm sure that he will not find the watch unusual at all, by that I mean he will recognise
the style as familiar .. I say this as I have a 'converted' pocket watch (to a wrist watch)
that was my mother's .. and it is almost identical. But of course
there are no fake scratched initials on it.

The question will be if he actually remembers selling that particular watch ..
or something that looked the same to Steven, all those years ago.
He has for many years now, collected, sold and traded watches and clocks,
and taught himself how to do certain repairs on them.

To me the most interesting thing here is that he had this very clear memory
of meeting Steven Park .. the way that he described Steven, the night it happened
etc will stay in my mind forever. I too also remember Steven looking at his watches that night.
So even if the watch in question is not the one my brother sold Steven, to
me it proves that it was a part of Steven's original plan .. a watch to go with the diary that he was writing.

Victoria

[caz]

Chris,

he could donate it to a museum, but then again i guess it might be tested if he did that

Jenni

Hi Jenni,

I don't know whether museums are in the habit of taking questioned artefacts off their owners' hands and paying out to have them tested. But who do you think it will be a problem for if the watch is tested again?

Unless you've been living in a cave for the last few years you must be aware that 'he' (doesn't 'he' even deserve a capital H now?) paid out more for tests in the early days than the watch cost him in the first place. He had no worries then about testing, so where's your evidence that he would now?

If you are trying to imply that the current owner would not want the watch to end up with someone who can afford to pay for further testing, that's frankly rather ridiculous. The very fact that it's for sale - and we all know about it - shows that he must be perfectly happy with the idea that its future owner may want to subject it to further tests and may let us all know the results.

So were you just being mischievous, or do you mean that you are worried this might result in more testing, because the scratches could be confirmed to be at least several decades old?

Love,

Caz
X

[Omlor]

"...questioned artefacts...

I love that.

In this case, I think it's polite-speak for "hoax".

--John

[Jenni Shelden]

Caz,

yes tested like the sept letter was tested, where we have to wait for Patrica's whims versus tested by someone I know, yes that could well have been what i meant!

Jenni

[caz]

"...questioned artefacts...

I love that.

In this case, I think it's polite-speak for "hoax".

--John

Hi John,

No - it's scientific-speak for questioned artefacts.

You think a museum would take a hoax off someone's hands and test it?

Interesting.

But then you are someone who believes passionately that the watch is a hoax while also believing passionately that it still has to be tested, presumably just to make absolutely sure.

Have a great weekend, o ye of so much, yet so little faith in your own convictions.

Love,

Caz
X

PS Sorry, Jen, life's too short to try and fathom what your response has got to do with either of our previous posts or the topic in hand. Could you try a coherent sentence this time and actually tell me why you suggested that Albert would not want the watch tested again? Thanks.

[Omlor]

Sigh,

Is it really necessary to make the old distinction again?

Yes, both the watch and diary are clearly and obviously hoaxes.

Yes, they should be thoroughly tested using the latest technologies so that we might find out through science whatever we can about when these hoaxes were made.

There is no inconsistency.

Why is that so difficult to understand?

-- John

[Jenni Shelden]

caz,

not without opening myself up to a libel action.

but you are right lifes too short

thast why i cant be bothered arguing on maybrick threads

Jenni