Famous Mortimer wrote:"Authentic-looking"
Connoisseurs know the three categories of replica watches. First comes the authentic-looking replica, then the authentic replica, and finally the inauthentic-looking replica, to be followed by the authentic item itself.
Based on the Antique Road Show evaluation above, this is a highly desirable
authentic-looking replica, which is more valuable than either an authentic watch or inauthentic replica.
In curatorial lingo, this remarkable specimen doubles down on replicating: it is an exponential replica, a replica to the second power, or replica squared. It is impossible to replicate any more than this watch is replicating without one watch actually sleeping with another watch--or, in the parlance, 'nitty gritty replicating.'
Additionally, note that this is not what experts would term 'play replication' but an adult replication. Note the wording on the top of the packaging: "Not recommended for children under 4," which is the factory's seal that this is a verified replica for adult collectors, but also that government censors inspected this watch for appropriate levels of replication and possible obscenity.
Next, notice the French wording for adult replication: "Ne convient pas aux enfants de moins de 4 ans," which is both the traditional mark of the skilled cardboard tradesmen from ancient medieval guilds who fashioned the package and lettering, and indicates that the package makers not only apprenticed for years before being allowed to package authentic replicas, but spent years of additional study at the Sorbonne, likely writing theses on existentialism.
The names "Dick" and "Tracy" add further value to this remarkable item: Richard, after all, is French, entering the English language following the Norman conquest of England at the Battle of Hastings in 1066, while "Tracy" also comes from the "de Tracy" family--also from the Norman aristocrats who conquered and ruled England for approximately two centuries.
So, altogether, we have a French authentic replica in its original package of a watch that, second only to the Bayeux Tapestry, signifies the profound international influence of Norman culture and the French language on the history of the world.
Estimated value: $0.57