Wittnauer Chronograph Ref. 3256 - Indy 500 Provenance
Straight Facts
Buckle Up, It’s Time to Go Racing at ‘The Brickyard’
1953, Indianpolis Motor Speedway. It was 130 °F, the hottest race on record. Spirits were high, but dampened by the death of race veteran Chet Miller the day before in qualifying a loss that was palpable throughout the packed stadium. That event didn’t dampen Bill Vukovich and his team though. Racing at speeds over 130mph in his open wheel Kurtis Kraft racer completed 200 laps winning for what would be his first of two consecutive Indy 500 wins. Cheering him on from the pits was chief mechanic Clint Brawner.
Clint would go on to become one of the most legendary racing mechanics of the era - even helping the legendary Mario Andretti win the Indy 500 - and this Wittnauer was gifted to him by Vukovich with one of those early wins that started it all. This Wittnauer doesnt just tell time, it tells history.
The watch itself is in stunning overall condition and its silvered multi-color, multi-scale dial exhibits light signs of aging and patination that we love to see in these authentic period pieces. The manual winding cam actuated chronograph movement feels as crisp today as it did trackside in ‘53 and is ready to go racing into the 21st Century!
*Some marks or spots on the dial are reflections or dust on the crystal and are due to high intensity strobe lighting used while photographing. They are not actually on the watch or visible in natural lighting.
Watch + Condition Details
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Shipping, Returns, & Warranty
At Oliver & Clarke, domestic shipping is on us! If you are international and require a quote – please feel free to reach out to us at info@oliverandclarke.com so we can get you squared away.
Returns (accepted within 3 days of initial delivery of your purchase) must be sent overnight or by priority international delivery, fully insured and paid for by the customer. For payments via Credit Card, a 5% restocking fee will be in place for any returns or cancellations in order to cover our processing fee. Of course, watches must be returned in the same condition as initially shipped.
If you happen to trade a watch with us, which we welcome, trades are final, except of course if the watch is grossly misdescribed or misrepresented.
We back each Oliver & Clarke timepiece with a one-year mechanical warranty starting at the date of first delivery. We service or perform necessary maintenance to the extent necessary to all of our watches, unless otherwise noted. All watches are listed and sold running and functioning as intended.
*Please note that due to the vintage or antique nature of many of our watches, these machines may not run as accurately as they did when new, nor will any mechanical timepiece keep time as accurately as a quartz or electronic device.
We do not guarantee water resistance, thus do not warranty against moisture incursion or water damage.
*We also do not recommend deliberate exposure to water or worse - steam!
Our warranty is voided under the following circumstances:
- Internal or external damage caused by an accident, mishandling, abuse, modification, or handling/service performed by a third party individual other than one of our own.
Our warranty is non-transferable.
The Oliver & Clarke Guarantee
Through rigorous vetting of each watch offered, we’re able to guarantee authenticity of our pieces. Ultimately, your satisfaction is our mission, as is helping you get YOUR perfect watch. If you have any questions at all, we will get back to you ASAP.
Each of our timepieces are vetted, evaluated, authenticated, and approved by our experienced team prior to sale. We guarantee the period-correctness of all components unless otherwise disclosed. We guarantee the authenticity of each watch in perpetuity.
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"As collectors themselves, Oliver and Clarke are on a mission to make buying vintage watches as painless as possible."
"The company focuses on good prices for its pieces, elite customer service and full transparency."
"The appointment-only space is inviting, with comfortable seating areas and exposed brick walls."
From Rolex & Patek Philippe, to Cartier & Audemars Piguet. As collectors first, we love the small details that separate the Submariner from Daytona and Calatrava from Royal Oak. This is why you'll find our curated assortment spans decades of generations of models and brands. We believe that watches don't just tell time, they tell history - and life is too short to wear a boring watch.
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