Nancy Drew 1970s TV Show Watch Variant

Another Nancy Drew TV Show Watch Variant? Read on for more clues...

First, a little background information, then variant information. It wasn't until January 2009 when I realized there was a collectible that no one in the collecting circles had ever heard of or mentioned before. A Nancy Drew Watch based on the 1970s TV show starring Pamela Sue Martin as Nancy Drew. The watch I saw on eBay didn't feature the red band pictured above and below, it had this sort of flower girl hippy style band instead pictured right below. At first, I wasn't too sure about the band being original and then saw an equivalent Hardy Boys watch and realized it was likely not original based on the style/color of the Hardy Boys watch. 

So, what did the original look like? Fast forward to 2019 when around March of that year another watch - this one complete with the original box/packaging and warranty slip came up on eBay. I missed it, but a fellow collector, Victoria Broadhurst won it and has shared a couple of photos that are below of the watch with its packaging and a close up. In this 2nd auction, we discovered the original band was red - matches her outfit shown on the watch face. My red band is the same texture/appearance as Vicki's band.

Last year, I stumbled upon an auction (the third known watch to be sold we're aware of) at eBay for the watch itself, no packaging, but the original red band. Mine was always one to upgrade since it didn't have the original band. My original watch was donated with my collection back in 2019 to the Toledo Public Library. I was successful at winning the 3rd auction with the red band and stowed it away. Recently I dug it out to photograph and realized something I hadn't noticed before. The watch hands are all black. I checked the photo I had up at my Nancy Drew Collection Pinterest Boards and noted that the first watch I purchased had gold hands and a red seconds hand. I then checked the image I had pulled from the complete watch/box set auction and noted that Vicki's appeared to be the same. I verified it with her that they are the same as the first one I acquired.

The above image is the 2nd watch I purchased on eBay. 

Below are images Vicki shared with me of hers:

I also noticed that in addition the hands being a different color in the one I recently acquired, the image varies in cropping. If you look at the faces of the 3 pictured here, you'll see that on my first watch, the copyright line of 1977 Universal City Studios is visible under "Swiss Made" which is right under "Nancy Drew."  On Vicki's watch and then my newly acquired one, you can't see the copyright line. Some of the faces have the numbers much closer to the edges and some of the footprints at top are more visible on the left of the "12" number and others not so much, so there was variation in the cropping of the image inside the watch. The image itself is always the same of Nancy holding a magnifying glass looking at footprints. My band is missing the little, small overlay band to tuck the end of the watch band into.

I don't consider the cropping to be a variant, but the color of the hands is very interesting and definitely a variant. Perhaps as they were made if they ran out of one color, they used another. I wonder if there are any other variants with the hands/etc. that will crop up as hopefully more of these watches turn up on the market. Time will tell. What I'd love, is to hear from someone who originally owned one of these watches and learn where you purchased it - was it purchased at Universal in a gift shop or was this possibly available via mail order? If there was any advertising material that shows the watches, I'd love to see it.  Any further clues you might have, e-mail me at nancydrewsleuth@aol.com