1939 Baseball Hall of Fame Grand Opening Induction Wristwatch Presented to Honus Wagner....

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One of the most important baseball awards ever issued!

1939 Baseball Hall of Fame Grand Opening Induction Wristwatch Presented to Honus Wagner. Even amidst the titans of the game which share cast-bronze immortality on the shores of Lake Otsego, the noble Honus Wagner stands tall as one of the true founding members of the Baseball Hall of Fame, Class of 1936. Joining Ty Cobb, Walter Johnson, Christy Mathewson and Babe Ruth in that pioneering quintet, the Old Dutchman was the first infielder to earn Cooperstown immortality, finishing second overall in a tie with Ruth behind Cobb at 95.1% of registered ballots. "He was the nearest thing to a perfect player no matter where his manager chose to play him," said John McGraw, who spent twenty-two games a season as manager of the New York Giants searching for a solution to stifle Wagner's prodigious talents.

Presented is one of the most significant baseball awards ever made available to the collecting public, the commemorative wristwatch issued to Wagner on June 12, 1939 to mark his induction to the Baseball Hall of Fame. Just eleven such watches were produced for the occasion, one for each of the eleven living players attending the Grand Opening ceremonies, and it's been nearly a decade since any have appeared on the hobby's auction block. In 2013, Walter Johnson's example drew a winning bid of nearly $57,000, while George Sisler's found a new owner at nearly $45,000. Certainly each of those results would be dwarfed today if they were returned to auction.

Many collectors will consider this example to be one of the three most desirable that exists, along with Cobb and Ruth, and it's a true thrill to introduce this monumentally important relic to the market. It is consigned to this Platinum Night sale by a gentleman who acquired it from Wagner's nephew Bill Gallagher a half-century ago, a gift for helping Gallagher around the house as he was getting older.

The stylish "Gruen Curvex" timepiece is stamped "14K Gold Filled" on case verso, where we find the historic engraved text, "Presented to Honus Wagner, Member of The Hall of Fame, Baseball Centennial, 1839-1939." A turn of the crown resuscitates the ticking pulse of this ancient wristwatch, but we suspect a professional servicing would be required for accurate timekeeping. The original crystal is clear and uncracked, and the dial, with its golden numerals, is still the raving beauty it always has been. The delicate original bracelet has been lost over the passage of the better part of a century, but a brown calfskin model, complete with a gold buckle, makes for a lovely replacement. Total weight (including strap) is thirty-two grams (32 g.). Letter of provenance from acquaintance of Wagner family member.

Press for Honus Wagner's Hall of Fame watch

LOA from Heritage Auctions.