Brian.. Posted October 11, 2013 Share Posted October 11, 2013 This is a subject that causes considerable annoyance in English collecting circles. Ebay is awash with fake character pocket watches and one popular subject for the fakers is the Dan Dare Pocket Watch by Ingersoll. This is a long overdue warning to potential buyers. There's only one genuine Dan Dare pocket watch. It shows Dan Dare fighting a dragon. Any other pocket watch is a fake or fantasy piece. (There is a Dan Dare wrist watch, but that's another story.) Here's the original. It must have a turning second disk and Dan Dare's hand must move up and down. In addition the back must have an engraving of an entire eagle (not just the head) and the wording EAGLE. Look carefully at the picture on the dial and if it looks odd, grainy, blurred or uneven then it has definitely been replaced and is worth little or nothing. There were two versions of the watch, an early one with INGERSOLL prominently printed on the dial, and a later one with Ingersoll removed and DAN DARE made larger. Apparently the Eagle owners objected to the prominence of the Ingersoll wording. REMEMBER ONLY the image of Dan shooting a dinosaur. AND a turning second dial AND a moving arm AND on the back of the watch an engraving of an ENTIRE eagle WITH the word EAGLE below it. EVERY OTHER "DAN DARE" POCKET WATCH IS A FAKE Some dealers will tell you that Dan Dare watches were released without the Eagle engraving. That's just no true. No Eagle (engraving and wording) = Fake You may, of course, be happy to pay £30 for a fantasy £2 pocket watch with a photocopy of a Dan Dare scene. That's fine, as long as the seller tells you that it's not a genuine piece. If you are unwittingly paying £200 for a fake Ingersoll then that's wrong. A good dealer will guarantee authenticity. A poor dealer will tell you that he believes his watch is a vintage item. Weasel words. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian.. Posted October 11, 2013 Author Share Posted October 11, 2013 These are just a few of the fakes on Ebay. Ask the seller if they are genuine and he'll probably tell you that he thinks so and that the watch is old. There's no guarantee that the dial is old, though. You're just buying a cheap old £2 watch and a photocopied dial. The more imaginative sellers will tell you that they were produced by workers in the Smith's watch factory during their lunch break. That's just a lie. They were probably produced during his lunch break yesterday. Q: Hi, is this a genuine Dan Dare watch? A: Yes the watch is from the 60s. Q: I can see the watch is old but Is it a genuine Dan Dare dial? A: As far as I know. Fake The Mekon Dan Dare Pocket Watch: a modern creation Below (top left) is a fake based on the Dan Dare Planet Gun box. It's a crude photocopy of the space gun box. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian.. Posted October 12, 2013 Author Share Posted October 12, 2013 This pocket watch appeared in a reputable auction house described as a rare USA release of a Dan Dare pocket watch. In fact the picture on the dial is a poorly trimmed copy of artwork from the small Dan Dare shooting game. They couldn't even get the wording to fit. Space Shooti.... !!! Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian.. Posted January 10, 2016 Author Share Posted January 10, 2016 Another couple of fake Dan Dare pocket watches. One even has an eagle head on the back with the wording EAGLE. In fact the eagle engraving is all wrong. It should be an entire eagle in flight with the wording EAGLE below it. Someone has gone to great lengths to create a half credible watch. but it's not authentic. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian.. Posted September 5, 2017 Author Share Posted September 5, 2017 Two more fake Dan Dare pocket watches. On the left is a Mekon image on a Smiths pocket watch. It's home made. In the second example shows Digby and Dan Dare. They couldn't even be bothered to get Dan's head in the frame! Here's a list of Dan Dare pocket watches currently on Ebay. How many fakes can you see? If you find a seller offering a fake, why not send them a link to this page? Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian.. Posted July 12, 2018 Author Share Posted July 12, 2018 Here's the latest Dan Dare fake watch. The poor quality of the photocopied dial should be warning enough. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian.. Posted August 14, 2018 Author Share Posted August 14, 2018 Got to keep up to date with the fakers. Here's the latest fake Dan Dare Smiths Pocket Watch: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian.. Posted March 19, 2019 Author Share Posted March 19, 2019 The latest fake Dan Dare "Ingersoll" pocket watch. An amateurish effort, this one. They could only fit AR on the dial. One for the discerning collector. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian.. Posted May 11, 2019 Author Share Posted May 11, 2019 Another particularly poor Dan Dare Pocket Watch fake. This one even has Ingersoll added to that utterly miserable dial. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian.. Posted November 10, 2019 Author Share Posted November 10, 2019 There's another rash of fakes on Ebay. Here's one of the most prolific suppliers: FAKE DAN DARE WATCHES The latest trend is to deal with the problem of the eagle engraving on the back. Of course it's the fake eagle Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maloo Posted February 22, 2021 Share Posted February 22, 2021 Hi Brian, This Dan Dare pocket watch has just come up on your local ebay. What do you think genuine or fake? My concern is the dial doesn't seem to match up to the rest of the watch, It is not really clear and looks faded, hardly being able to see the red Dane Dare writing and the fire from the dragon. Too much sun?? I am pretty sure the box is also not original. Your opinion is much appreciated. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian.. Posted February 22, 2021 Author Share Posted February 22, 2021 It's a genuine watch but it looks terribly faded. If not, then the picture is awful. The box is clearly wrong. It's for a Smith's watch but Ingersoll made the Dan Dare version. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Maloo Posted February 22, 2021 Share Posted February 22, 2021 Thanks Brian! If it is the face it really spoils the watch and the box and instructions are not really worth a jot then! I would love one of these or the Festival of Britain watch. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
steve Posted February 24, 2021 Share Posted February 24, 2021 That was a lesson Brian - didn't realize how prevalent the fraudulent Dare watches were. out in the world. Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Brian.. Posted February 24, 2021 Author Share Posted February 24, 2021 A pet hate of mine, Steve. I plaster FAKE on the images so that they show up on a Google image search. Here's the correct box: Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Recommended Posts
Create an account or sign in to comment
You need to be a member in order to leave a comment
Create an account
Sign up for a new account in our community. It's easy!
Register a new accountSign in
Already have an account? Sign in here.
Sign In Now