Some years ago, I posted an image of this watch, but with Iran back in the news - again - here again is the Iranian revolutionary hunting case pocket watch.

An Iranian told me these were most likely awarded to the members of the Hisbahla political party, but I suspect they may have been available for sale in the bazar as well.



On the outside of the dial cover is an image of a smiling Imam Khomeini (in most of his pictures he is frowning).



An odd bit of trivia is that the dial says “Iranian Revolution” in English instead of Farsi, and has the western date instead of the Islamic calendar date of this Islamic revolution.

The watch is powered by an inexpensive Swiss movement. It appears to have been made w/in a year of two of the revolution which toppled the last, U.S. backed, Shah (King) of Iran. I suspect it was made prior to the start of the Iran-Iraq war.



Another souvenir: An Iranian Infantry Generals hat.

Khodahaffez,
Greg

Hi Greg.

I may be completely wrong, but my guess is that your watch is a tourist item.

I've traveled to a number of countries in Asia, Africa and the Middle East and I've noticed similar type material in the local markets. They also have t-shirts, wristwatches, plates, figurines, etc. with images of not only Khomeini, but other big name revolutionary heros such as Mao Zedong, Che Guevarra, Khadhafi, Lenin, etc. depending on the country you are in.

Also, the Hezbollah award story doesn't ring right in my mind for a couple of reasons. The first is the one you have already mentioned that the dial and inscription are in English. To the revolutionary clerics in Iran, English is the tougue of the "the Great Satan". It makes no sense to me that they would have been behind the making of such watches. Also, Hezbollah is a Lebanese terrorist organization, not Iranian. Iran and some other countries likely provide money to Hezbollah, but the organization was created by and is run by radical Lebanese clerics. I am not clear as to how a watch with a commemoration of the Iranian revolution would be seen as an award to the guys in Hezbollah.

I am open to being corrected, but I would start with the hypothesis that this is a tourist item.

Hi Jim,

It could be a tourist item, but it would be an early post-revolutionary one. I did not see any new wind-up watches in Iran in 1996. Brand new watches in malls and bazaars were all quartz battery jobs with western dials.

While I was in Iran I specifically asked around in various bazaars for watches with political figures, such as Khomeini, on them. There were no political watches for sale. I was told that some Iranians in the bazar thought I was a crackpot for asking for such stuff, but since I was clearly a forigner, it was ok, at least I gave them a few grins.

After lots of searching, the above, used, wind-up pocket watch was all I could find. It was not out on display. A watchmaker dug it out of a box of used watches in the back of his shop. He requested the equivalent of $7.00 for it(a figure my host thought was a big rip-off!).

My Iranian host had not seen any watches w/Khomeini on them and it was he who suggested that it was something that pro-government Hezboallah party members might have ordered for themselves. However, it looks rather cheap to be a presentation item.

All around Iran, political slogans were written in Farsi with English translations. I suppose they wanted foreigners to know they were unhappy with the U.S., Israel, etc., etc. Plus, at least in some circles, the ability to use English is the mark of an educated person, even those who don't like "The Great Satan".

Political/revolutionary stuff is an interesting type of souvenir, at least to me. However, it took some looking to get examples of such stuff in 1996 Iran. Maybe things would be different if I was in Iran now.

The Hezboallah, or "Party of God", is a revolutionary Shiite Moslem political organization. Worldwide, the majority of Moslems are Sunni. Iran has the most Shiites of any Islamic nation and Hezboallah is the ruling political party there. Iran has been accused of funding the Lebanese wing of the Hezboallah party and has allegedly done so for a long time.

Back during the President Reagan Iran-Contra scandal, it was reported that the U.S. provided illegal military aid to Iran. One excuse provided back then was that the aid was given in order to seek Iran's help in getting the Lebanese Hezboallahees to release American hostages. Iran latter claimed that they did not have direct influence over the Lebanese. But, the connection of Iran with Lebanon was out of the bag. I'm not exactly sure if the Iranian Hezboallah and Lebanese Hezboallah are the same organization or different organizations with the same name and purpose.

If you are off in some far-off place, Jim, you might consider buying a few of those political watches. They might make an interesting, if controversial, collection some day.

Best regards,
Greg

Not to go too far in a one-sided view of Hezbollah (Hizbollah, etc): it is a violent organization, although also one that organizes many services of great value to the communities where it predominates, such as schools etc. but...

I believe it is still on the US official list of terrorist organizations.

This is from a BBC website:

"Hezbollah's political rhetoric has centred on calls for the destruction of the state of Israel. Its definition of Israeli occupation has also encompassed the idea that the whole of Palestine is occupied Muslim land and it has argued that Israel has no right to exist.

Hezbollah's spiritual head Sheikh Fadlallah
Hezbollah's spiritual head Sheikh Fadlallah is close to Iran

The party was long supported by Iran, which provided it with arms and money.

In its early days, Hezbollah was close to a contingent of some 2000 Iranian Revolutionary guards, based in Lebanon's Bekaa Valley, which had been sent to Lebanon in 1982 to aid the resistance against Israel.

As Hezbollah escalated its guerrilla attacks on Israeli targets in southern Lebanon, its military aid from Iran increased.

The movement also adopted the tactic of taking Western hostages, through a number of freelance hostage taking cells: The Revolutionary Justice Organisation and the Organisation of the Oppressed Earth, which seized Terry Waite.

For many years, Hezbollah was synonymous with terror, suicide bombings and kidnappings. In 1983, militants who went on to join Hezbollah ranks carried out a suicide bombing attack that killed 241 US marines in Beirut.

Passionate and demanding

The party has operated with neighbouring Syria's blessing - with the guerrilla war against being a card for Damascus to play in its own confrontation with Israel over the occupation of the Golan Heights.

Over the two decades, Hezbollah evolved into a movement with thousands of trained guerrillas, members of parliament and a dynamic welfare programme benefiting thousands of Lebanese.

Hezbollah fighters
Hezbollah proved to be a formidable fighting force
It was passionate, demanding of its members and devoted to furthering an Islamic way of life.

In the early days, its leaders imposed strict codes of Islamic behaviour on towns and villages in the south - a move that was not universally popular with the region's citizens.

But, despite the early history of coercion, the party emphasises that its Islamic vision should not be interpreted as an intention to impose an Islamic society on the Lebanese.

Political moves

In recent years, Hezbollah has won considerable backing within Lebanon. Its social services programme was popular with the Shia community.

The group's successful hit-and-run guerrilla war on Israel's much-vaunted army assured it some support and a lot or respect from other religious communities.

While, the US listed the group as a terrorist organisation, the government in Beirut declared it a national resistance movement.

Its popularity with the Shia community - which makes up almost 40% of Lebanon's three million people - was confirmed in the 1992 parliamentary elections when Hezbollah led a successful campaign and won eight seats in parliament.

But it is not popular with all of Lebanon's different communities - the Christians, for example, have accuse it of trying to destabilise the country."



Also, I note the following organizations are allied groups:

"Hizballah / Hizballah
Party of God
Islamic Jihad
Islamic Jihad for the Liberation of Palestine
Organization of the Oppressed on Earth
Revolutionary Justice Organization"

Jessica

Thank you Jessica. Good homework.

These terrorist organizations are highly organized, secretive, and complex. I know first hand the pain they have caused. Understanding what makes them tick is extremely important if we are to stop them from gaining strength and spreading.

Best regards,
Greg

If this is in fact an authentic Iranian watch, they have no good taste for timepieces. The Hizballah have a similar relationship with the community that Al Capone's gang enjoyed in Chicago. He invested in baseball uniforms and other charitable donations to the local public.....but he was still a murdering crook.