I love a good mystery. In my modest collection, this Lanco Rocketeer from the late 50s is exactly that.

The gold-plated case measures 35mm but the 44mm lug to lug and 19mm lug width make it wear larger than its case size would suggest. The case is both attractive with a fine coin edge bezel encircling the dial and comfortable to wear thanks to the delicately twisted lugs that curve downward to hug the wrist. From the top of the slightly domed acrylic crystal to the stainless steel caseback (featuring a rocket flying through a starry sky) it measures just a shade more than 9mm. The signed crown is out of the way, recessed into the case, and therefore keeps the case’s lines clean. The golden colored dauphine hands are driven around the dial by a 17 jewel automatic movement beating at 18,000 bph. You can handwind the movement but it is so efficient that it will start from a dead stop with only a flick of the wrist.

The dial is finely textured, reminiscent of the sparkle dial on my great-grandfather’s Omega Seamaster from a decade later, with applied faceted arrowhead markers at each hour that catch and throw the light beautifully. The Lanco logo and name are applied with the rest of the dial markings simply printed on. And this is where the mystery lies.

At the six o’clock position, there is a printed silhouette of a Boeing 707 in flight, with the model number superimposed over the forward fuselage. There are no signs of redialing or modification. This watch was ordered this way from the Lanco factory. So, one wonders: how many of these were made? Why? Who got them? I’ll likely never get answers to these questions and I’m okay with that. Just glancing at it tells you more than simply the time. It sparks wonder and intrigue and that’s certainly better than knowing the truth. If you’ve got theories, please share!