[f]Wyler Watch Surface of American Musician Harry Belafonte

Harry Belafonte is a number of heroes, including Fratello reader Billy Denty. This is a valid reason. A successful musician who sold over 3,000,000 albums, he was also a man of a huge social conscience. He lived an incredible life, and today, thanks to Frater’s readers, we can see Belafonte’s Weiler up close.

Even if you’re new to his name, you’ve probably heard of Harry Belafonte’s work. Born in 1927, Belafonte began her music career as a New York club singer, paying for acting classes. He was inspired to start acting when he worked as a janitor assistant and received two tickets to American Black Theatres. Belafonte fell in love with the art form of acting and became friends with Sidney Poitier. The pair struggled financially, so they bought a seat for a local play and swapped spots between the acts after giving each other the first half of the plot of the play they were watching.

Harry Belafonte’s inspiring life

In the late 1940s, Belafonte took acting classes at a dramatic workshop at a new school in New York City, along with fellow actors Marlon Brando, Tony Curtis and Poitier. Belafonte won a Tony Award for his participation in the Broadway work John Murray Anderson (1954).

By 1954, Belafonte was already working as a club singer to help pay for her acting career. When he first appeared before the audience, he was not supported by the Charlie Parker band, including the jazz legends Charlie Parker, Max Roach and Miles Davis.

Early music success

Belafonte’s first widely released single became a song that would join his signature audience, but was “Matilda.” It was recorded in 1953. Around this time, Belafonte appeared in the film Carmen Jones (1954). However, his groundbreaking album, Calypso (1956), which will continue to achieve the widest commercial success.

Calypso became the world’s first LP to sell over 1,000,000 copies in a year. The album lasted 31 weeks, 58 weeks in the UK Top 10 and 99 weeks on the US charts. He also introduced audiences from around the world to Calypso music (and therefore the name of the album) that traces its origins to Trinidad and Tobago in the Caribbean in the early 1800s. Belafonte’s success in this field has popularized Caribbean music around the world through hits such as “Day-O” (also known as “Banana Boat Song”) and “Jump in the Line.”

How Fratero readers met Harry Belafonte’s Weiler Watch

Watching enthusiast Billy Denty is a huge fan of Harry Belafonte’s work. In fact, he grew into Calypso songs and several other Belafonte albums. “Harry Belafonte’s music has always had a special place in my life. I can still imagine a summer afternoon. My family and I, by the pool, his voice carries the air, filling the garden with rhythm and warmth. Those songs became the soundtrack of my childhood,” he said.

So, one day when he had the opportunity to buy a watch owned by a musician, Danty jumped at the chance. “I came across this watch at auction. I’m a huge fan of Harry’s music. Harry was a summer soundtrack as a kid. I wanted to buy something from my father. I bought this watch as a kind of memorial. I was able to rewind the time, and I was able to go back to a lighthearted moment where the future was wide open and anything seemed possible.”

His wife, Colletta Scott King (right), and his wife, Colletta Scott King (right), marching near Montgomery, Alabama on March 24, 1965, and Dr. Harry Belafonte (centre)

A difficult time for the US

Belafonte’s longevity crossed many aspects of American history, but was a turbulent push and fierce battle, particularly for civil rights. Belafonte was a confidant of Dr. Martin Luther King Jr., who served as a supporter in funding and supporting the civil rights movement, including in March in Washington in 1963. Blacklisted during the reactionary McCarthy era and the 1963 Birmingham Campaign, Belafonte raised $50,000 to save King from the Birmingham prison in Alabama and free other civil rights protesters. This was a natural but brave step Belafonte took. He was one of the first major black men in Hollywood.

Belafonte later became UNICEF’s goodwill ambassador and defended global humanitarian causes. This included salvation of hunger around the world and the fight against South Africa’s apartheid. In 2022 he was awarded the President of the United States Medal of Freedom.

Watch collector’s journey

When Belafonte met Weiler Watch at auction, she had already had a major impact on Fratello reader Billy Denty. However, Denty’s journey as a watch lover began when he was only 12 years old. “It started with my grandfather’s Omega. As someone with serious ADHD, I was constantly being kicked out of class due to my confusion. I used my grandfather’s watch to calm myself down and counted seconds.

“Lately, I’ve been sticking to smaller, more meaningful collections. My first Rolex, my grandfather’s Omega and a few other watches full of memories.”

Thank you for the vintage Weiler watch

Putting aside the fact that this is Harry Belafonte’s Weiler Watch, Denty appreciates it as a design. “I like the date window. I believe it’s a habit because the window on that date hasn’t found another incax. The diamond pattern on the dial catches light and the gold marker pops. I enjoy the fact that the original strap is very worn. In fact, this watch is relatively humble in the best possible way.

The caseback features the words “Vic Weiler’s Harry Belafonte” and the date “1-3-62.” Vic Wyler was head of the Wyler Watch Company at the time. The date is Belafonte’s birthday, so it is natural to assume that the clock was a gift from Weiler to Belafonte for his 1962 birthday.

Wyler Watch

Certainly, Weiler is a watch brand that I barely knew about before this feature. Paul and Victor Weiler founded the Paul Weiler and Sea Watchmaking Factory in Basel in 1924. In 1931, a Weiler watch was thrown from the top of the Eiffel Tower to prove the effectiveness of the anti-shock system. Apparently the clock continued to run normally.

There’s a lot more to Weiler, but you can read about it here. According to the original auction list, the watch has a case filled with 31mm 10k gold. Hand and time markers are also gold.

A chance encounter with the man himself

Before owning the Wyler Watch, Denty turns out to have met Belafonte once. “I met Harry at a college event many years ago,” he said. “He wrote a book on civil rights, and we had a council about it. After the speech, I approached him while he was talking to the faculty. I told him I was a huge fan and jokingly, he replied, “Oh, yes, yeah, I gave two songs a name,” he replied, and he replied. It was a cool moment for me.

Denty knew Belafonte through his music before purchasing the Wyler Watch. This changed quickly after he won it. “To be honest, in addition to his music, I didn’t know much about Harry’s achievements before owning this watch. This guy has done a lot in his life. We even learned that we shared the same favorite snacks, Ritz Crackers and cream cheese. Not so funny) is an incredible privilege.”

The idea of ​​conclusion

Belafonte passed away on April 25, 2023 at an epic age in 1996. He was really too long to list here.

It’s great to be able to share these stories with our readers and celebrate the lives of a man who has worked tirelessly to improve the lives of others.