Ever since Steve McQueen's film about professional endurance auto racing "LeMans" became available on DVD I (among others) have scoured the DVD looking for watches that the actors in the film wore.

In the movie, Steve McQueen's Michael Dualaney's character's main rival is the character Erich Stahler, who was played by the superb German actor Siegfried Rauch. In the movie Stahler/Rauch wears an unusual two register red dialed chronograph:

This was a watch that neither I or anyone else whom I have shown this screen snap taken directly from the DVD has been able to identify... At least until about a week and a half ago.

About two weeks back in the course of my routine scouring of eBay I noticed a curious Bucherer chronograph with a familiar profile...

Additional Seller's photos: 2 3 4 5

I placed my typical last moments bid and happily won the auction, paid the seller and began waiting for the watch to appear. Yesterday I received the watch... And took these snaps...

I should mention, that this movement is one that I have not previously seen before. It's operation is unusual as well... The pusher at 2 o'clock starts the chronograph, while the pusher at 4 o'clock both stops and reset's the chronograph. One can restart the chronograph by pushing the 2 o'clock pusher again, but this arrangement is not as convenient or as natural of a movement as the traditional 2 o'clock start/stop, 4 o'clock reset arrangement.

Does anyone have any ideas as to the source of this movement?

I'm pretty sure that this model watch (with a Red dial instead of the Green Dial I purchased) is likely the watch that Mr. Rauch wore while playing the Erich Stahler character in LeMans...

What do you think?

-- Chuck

P.S. Now to find a black rubber 18mm Long or Extra Long Tropic strap to complete the package!