Swiss Watch Found in 400-Year Old Chinese Tomb
While some mysteries are occasionally solved, the majority tend to live on forever without the truth being revealed. One in the latter category concerns the recent discovery of a century-old Swiss watch discovered in an ancient Chinese tomb that has been sealed for more than 400 years.
How did it get there? This is the question haunting the archaeologists who discovered the Swiss watch in an ancient tomb in Shangsi, southern China, they believed had not been opened since its occupant’s funeral, which occurred during the Ming Dynasty (15-16th centuries).
The miniature watch, which is in the shape of a ring, is thought to be barely a century old. The mysterious timepiece was encrusted in mud and rock and had stopped at 10:06 am. On the back of the watch, the word, ‘Swiss’ is engraved.
Its presence raises more questions than answers… like: Where did the watch come from? Could the watch/ring have been planted at the tomb, but if so, why and by whom?
The known facts do not really help in this case.
The Ming Dynasty did have its own unique age of watch making, but that does not explain why the word, ‘Swiss’ on the back of the watch is engraved in English. In Geneva, Switzerland, other languages were more common, namely French and German.
In 1541 in Geneva, there was a ban on flashy jewelry, so the idea of a watch/ ring might make some sense, as a watch was considered practical and essential. Still, there is no record anywhere of ring/watches being popular in Europe until after 1780, which only deepens the mystery.
The archaeologists were filming a documentary with two journalists when they made the puzzling discovery.
The dig has been suspended and researchers are currently awaiting the arrival of some experts from Beijing to help them unravel this most unsettling mystery.
Anyone know what time it is?
By MDeeDubroff on 05-03-2009
Comment by Cory
March 5th, 2009 at 3:32 pm
Hint: time travel
Comment by Nick
March 5th, 2009 at 4:35 pm
Oh, so that’s where I’m going to have left my watch. Thanks in advance!
Comment by Tommy
March 5th, 2009 at 5:03 pm
I knew some idiot was gonna write “time travel” or “aliens” in the comment section. Anyways it appears they need a second or third archaeological assessment. Either the first team did a poor job using dating techniques on the tomb, or that particular soil sample had been disturbed. The obvious answer is that that tomb has NOT been sealed for 400 years.
Comment by darkwing duck
March 5th, 2009 at 5:16 pm
未æ¥æˆ¦éšŠã‚¿ã‚¤ãƒ レンジャー did it
Comment by ludawg
March 5th, 2009 at 7:14 pm
Might be a marketing scheme. I didn’t know watch rings existed until now.
Comment by David
March 5th, 2009 at 10:50 pm
Too bad John Cameron Swazye wasnt around…cause if it had been a timex, it would still have been ticking…
Comment by Charly
March 6th, 2009 at 5:33 am
Well, it’s not so strange.
Its obvious that the Swiss had watch making technology back then. And the Chinese had technology to make those crappy fake watches they sell!!!
=P
Comment by Mr Bojangles
March 6th, 2009 at 5:42 am
A small animal likely carried it inside.
Comment by MDeeDubroff
March 6th, 2009 at 6:10 am
Thank you all for your comments.
I appreciate them.
Comment by McGooglykins
March 6th, 2009 at 8:39 am
WIN
Comment by r10t3r
March 6th, 2009 at 8:45 am
Quite amusing, I wonder how people will react when they blow the dust off the Nintendo Wii in the corner…
Comment by PW
March 6th, 2009 at 9:58 am
“…the majority tend to live on forever without the truth being revealed. One in the latter category concerns the recent discovery…”.
So this means forever is over, does it? “The majority tend to”…on what do you base this claim?
I stopped reading after the second sentence.
If reporting about things in a factual way and avoiding unsubstantiated generalizations is not your strong suit, just write a 4 word caption below the pic and leave it at that.
Comment by Erra
March 6th, 2009 at 12:03 pm
Clearly someone in the future will develop time-travel, and is playing practical jokes on historical archeologists. Wouldn’t you, if you had a time machine?
Comment by justjoeindenver
March 6th, 2009 at 12:34 pm
Clearly it was digested by a snake, left by some traveler nearer the surface in recent times. The snake, or other burrowing animal entered the tomb (still technically sealed) and has long since died and returned to the dust from whence it came.
That, or the Sleestak from Land of the Lost. Either theory is equally plausible. Also, John Titor. LOL
Comment by Cuddy
March 6th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Time ‘flies’ when you’re having fun
oh stop me!
Comment by wr
March 6th, 2009 at 1:17 pm
How can anyone tell it was 10:06 am and not pm?
Comment by Fil
March 6th, 2009 at 1:22 pm
Flux Capacitor + Delorean + 88 Miles per hour + 10:06am = Solved mystery
Comment by MK2
March 6th, 2009 at 1:26 pm
And then,(duh!) it could simply be a case of the person posting this having a bit of fun. Surely, no one takes this seriously. There has to be a better use for the internet doesn’t there. I know there is. It’s just not at this paticular site
Comment by Rebecca
March 6th, 2009 at 1:45 pm
Perhaps it was an early morning dig…
Comment by Kmuzu
March 6th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Actually the time on the watch is 5:35.
Comment by Loud Shirt Chip
March 6th, 2009 at 3:48 pm
Time’s fun when you’re having flies… – Kermit the frog
Comment by I
March 6th, 2009 at 4:27 pm
Ha true cos of the side the adjustment goes on, good eye
Comment by Sakura
March 6th, 2009 at 4:33 pm
HAMMERTIME!
Comment by cody
March 6th, 2009 at 5:30 pm
When they open it up its going to say made in japan anyway!,, just sayin
Comment by melanie
March 6th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
i think this is the more likely scenario
Comment by Misainzig
March 6th, 2009 at 8:39 pm
You might be right. But seriously, what else could it be?
Comment by the
March 6th, 2009 at 10:46 pm
When I was young I saw crappy ring watches for sell that were from China. No doubt some tomb raiders must have had one to tell them what time it was in the tomb so they could avoid guards or know how much air time they had left. The most likely explanation is the one no-one accepts.
Comment by nick
March 6th, 2009 at 11:31 pm
you live a lonely and miserable life dont you?
Comment by STail
March 6th, 2009 at 11:38 pm
Try having an imagination sometime, Tommy.
Comment by STail
March 6th, 2009 at 11:39 pm
Clearly you are mistaken, there is no better use of the internet.
Comment by CraigOS
March 7th, 2009 at 12:25 am
Photoshopped! lol
Comment by oliver
March 7th, 2009 at 1:12 am
man’s got a point there.
Comment by anonymous
March 7th, 2009 at 1:13 am
Damn…those advertising guys are getting good….it must have been hard to plant that watch there…
Comment by Thomas
March 7th, 2009 at 11:00 am
Exactly what I was thinking!
Comment by Sharif
March 7th, 2009 at 11:08 am
One of my buddies inferred that it might be from a prehistoric civilization, like a civilization that existed far before ours but was quite advanced but just had suffered some kind of large disaster where only few survived and had started again from a primitive life.
Comment by Clockser
March 7th, 2009 at 3:17 pm
Im guessing this is a complete fake…
like Kmuzu pointed out, its not “10:06am”, its 5:35, that mistake wouldnt make it through the news…
also, why do they say that the watch stopped at 10:06am if the watch looks like its made out of solid material, not exactlly a working piece(note that if it was covered in dust and all, you couldnt make the pointers out)
Comment by Awesome
March 7th, 2009 at 4:03 pm
Well, there’s porn. That’s a pretty good use of the internet.
Comment by Awesome
March 7th, 2009 at 4:04 pm
Yeah, and they called themselves the Swiss.
Comment by knowsthetruth
March 7th, 2009 at 6:34 pm
Oh come on.. time travel? That’s complete bull. It’s obvious that dwarf aliens from the planet Swiss were good friends with the dude in the tomb. They must have visited his funeral to pay their respects and left the watch as a gift. Forget those crackpot theories about an animal carrying the watch in, that would never happen.
Comment by Jeet
March 7th, 2009 at 11:04 pm
I am fed-up of small animals meddling in people’s affairs.
Comment by Kismet
March 8th, 2009 at 12:17 am
I’m glad you recognize this is the only plausible explanation. It was, of course, the first thing I did after I had perfected my Time Machine. It’s good to know there’s someone else out there who appreciates temporal practical jokes. We should pick a date and get together. How about sometime last April?
Comment by joice
March 8th, 2009 at 1:09 am
O! Snap!
Comment by Johannes
March 8th, 2009 at 4:45 am
No, it can’t be a marketing scheme, my Old Greek teacher has a watch ring herself, so I think they don’t need that
Comment by bleh
March 8th, 2009 at 8:39 am
why does it say 10:06am? what it if was really 10:06pm?
Comment by Jason
March 8th, 2009 at 10:07 am
How bout you try thinking rationally STail. Tommy has a much better chance being right than some idiot saying time travel. Its obvious that the tomb was disturbed at one time or that it is not 400 years old. I would assume that they could contact swiss watches and find out when they produced these ring watches and find out how old the watch is and that would let them know a time line of when the tomb was opened or that maybe they were wrong when saying its 400 years old.
Comment by Rance Mohanitz
March 8th, 2009 at 11:49 am
STail, if William of Ockham was alive today, he’d smack you in the nuts.
Comment by ObviousJon
March 8th, 2009 at 12:12 pm
As Clockser said, and what I was thinking as soon as I read the text under the photo, if it was a real watch then surely it would have a glass screen so the dial and hands would not be visible under the dust.
My first thought on the photo was that it was another of those photoshop or prank photos on a prank website.
What’s to say it didn’t ‘fall’ out of the pocket of someone who was there at the time that they found it?
Comment by Anonymous
March 8th, 2009 at 12:59 pm
haha yeah this made me instantly think of Michael Crichton’s Timeline
Comment by not applicable
March 8th, 2009 at 2:26 pm
time travel back to when the grave robbers lost it. c’mon, this is retarded, even for Nancy Drew
Comment by ravencalls
March 8th, 2009 at 2:45 pm
Last night I had a dream that .. this raven flew over that tomb and witnessed two people messing around in there.
he kept on saying something about a shiny object in one of their hands.
So I asked the raven… How long ago did he see this.. he told me that his parents were young chicks .. but thats all he could remember.
Comment by Tommy
March 8th, 2009 at 6:16 pm
What if… this whole article is just a sick practical joke to promote everyone’s belief in time travel and the supernatural…
Where are the links to collaborating stories or news items.
The story is imaginative and fun though.
Comment soon to be deleted I’m sure.
Comment by Cass
March 8th, 2009 at 6:31 pm
Haha. I’m glad I’m not the only one who was bothered by the writing.
Comment by ginsuplartik
March 8th, 2009 at 8:34 pm
dammit, so that’s where I lost the prototype. The planet Ronco(tm) would have ruled this planet long ago if only I had’nt lost the Watch Ring! Instead we had to resort to the Pocket Fisherman and Hair in a Can (GR8 looking Hair). All hail Popiel!
Comment by MP
March 8th, 2009 at 10:51 pm
And how do you know time travel isn’t the answer? Nobody’s saying time travel is possible now in 2009, but your lack of imagination isn’t stopping a guy 300 years from now going to a funeral in the Ming Dynasty and dropping off his watch.
If time travel exists, YOU DON’T KNOW ABOUT IT YET, DOOFUS.
Comment by MP
March 8th, 2009 at 10:53 pm
Ok seriously though, have Swiss ring watches been around for 100 years? I’m having a hard time picturing a Victorian individual checking their finger for the time.
Comment by Dicky
March 9th, 2009 at 3:53 am
if people in the future could travel back in time, then we would already have seen someone from the future. It’s not like they’d travel back unnoticed by anyone. That’s why I think that traveling backwards in time is impossible for humans (or at least will never be achieved) because at least one person would have come and told us how to do it by now.
Comment by Me Man You Woman
March 9th, 2009 at 9:04 am
Oooooh hand bag! Someone is in a serious and analytical mood today!
My hypothesis involves time travel by a DeLorean from the 5th Dimension where the characters of a certain film exist in their reality along with a flux capacitor. As far as you’re concerned this is as factual as any other hypothesis that people have put forward.
You cannot guess what happened historically, but it’s fun to try anyway Mr Seriousnessness
Comment by Idree
March 9th, 2009 at 9:24 am
Has to be a disturbed tomb.
No way people in the future will be using ring watches to tell their time.
We’ll probably be using our holographic and PDA like sjit to check the time not some Ring watch
Comment by Angel
March 9th, 2009 at 12:06 pm
no dummy, everyone knows the main rule of time travel- You can’t interfere with the past. So what if ppl are walking among us are from the future. How would you know?? It’s not like you’ll ever see the person passing you on the street again. See, people like you made fun of space travel… and now look. Open your mind up.
Comment by creep
March 9th, 2009 at 3:29 pm
Wow, angry rude people in here. You’d think that people might have a sense of humor, but in this case it appears to not be the case. Lighten up, geez.
Comment by Kori
March 9th, 2009 at 11:03 pm
I think that some grave robber 100 years ago probably was wearing it thinking it was cool lol and lost it and his/her remains are probably close by. He probably never made it out alive so of course thats why they still think it hasn’t been opened for 400yrs!! thats my 2 cents!!!!! lol
Comment by Wow!
March 10th, 2009 at 4:32 am
Yeah… it’s believable that ring watches were made a hundred years ago. For example, Alexander of Macedonia was believed by archaeologists to have made the first prototype submarine-like craft 2000 plus years ago and even an electric car concept had once been built by some dude a century ago. So the watches age is practical, but about how the tomb hasn’t been disturbed for 400 years… I just don’t know hmmmn. Precious! Yessss! Preciou… ahem, I’m mean… ungh NVM ;P
Comment by Mike
March 10th, 2009 at 5:32 am
Lol angel… everyone knows the main rule for something that doesn’t exist…
Comment by Mike
March 10th, 2009 at 5:38 am
I noticed that, too. It was a downer on an otherwise interesting article.
Comment by Mike
March 10th, 2009 at 5:39 am
Clearly.
Comment by Willy Brown Balls
March 10th, 2009 at 9:04 am
It is not possible from what we know to time travel to a point before the moment that time travel is invented.
Comment by LAD
March 10th, 2009 at 4:22 pm
out of all the comments here, yours made me laugh the most:D
Comment by bluedongle
March 10th, 2009 at 5:35 pm
It’s obvious that Chuck Norris left it there. He’s the only human that could sneak in then leave, while not disturbing the tomb. That or he farted so hard it sent him back in time and he dropped his watch there. In some random tomb.
Comment by OG
March 10th, 2009 at 9:15 pm
ask me why all Chinese people look alike?
Comment by hzax
March 10th, 2009 at 10:22 pm
A BIG HOAX!
Comment by hzax
March 10th, 2009 at 10:24 pm
Because you are living the United States, a cauldron of mixed races, people and culture. Hence, the variance in the shapes and colors of people.
While CHINA is basically one race, the YELLOW RACE.
Comment by Phil E. Drifter
March 11th, 2009 at 1:48 am
They had those ‘Digits’ finger watches back in the 80’s. Obviously it fell off of some visiting tourist.
Why is the article about an out of place watch but they have a picture of a pebble that looks roughly shaped like a tiny watch?
Comment by krakerz
March 11th, 2009 at 11:51 am
Yeah, some advanced future human time traveled to the inside of an ancient stinky tomb with an antique watch which he left behind in the dark.
That makes a lot more sense than the tomb has not been sealed as claimed.
Comment by Anon Idiot
March 11th, 2009 at 12:53 pm
Who cares?
Comment by Wow!
March 11th, 2009 at 2:00 pm
Wigh China-man rook all a-rike?
Comment by susi
March 11th, 2009 at 4:34 pm
it could be chinese ring, with the word SWISS
our minds are not ours
Comment by axholme
March 12th, 2009 at 7:33 am
Is she an ancient Greek? Could she be the time traveller??
Comment by Dick Cheney
March 12th, 2009 at 10:15 am
Tommy and Jason suck each other off hahahaha, fags
Comment by majorrich
March 12th, 2009 at 1:02 pm
Just proves they’ve been knocking off watches longer than there have been watches.
Comment by tyler
March 12th, 2009 at 11:56 pm
hey archeologist Artie, chill out. they’re just messing around. and if ur so smart why are you telling us your “scientific breakthrough” instead of the worldwide junior archeologist douche association?
Comment by Dan
March 13th, 2009 at 4:58 am
Smile mate & don’t take yourself so seriously.
Comment by vahid
March 13th, 2009 at 7:01 am
Lorem ipsum dolor sit amet, consectetur adipiscing elit. Aliquam quis risus. Donec justo lorem, commodo ac, mollis nec, porta vitae, leo. Morbi at velit sed neque sagittis hendrerit. In massa ipsum, egestas ac, scelerisque pretium, tempus id, lacus. Nullam libero ligula, iaculis et, pellentesque eu, sodales cursus, lectus. Fusce quis augue euismod turpis ullamcorper sodales. Maecenas dignissim volutpat enim. Vestibulum ante ipsum primis in faucibus orci luctus et ultrices posuere cubilia Curae; Vivamus ullamcorper euismod nulla. Nunc scelerisque placerat lorem. Quisque venenatis scelerisque eros. Suspendisse volutpat, libero sed ultricies fermentum, eros sem dictum elit, id convallis magna leo gravida felis. Maecenas quam. Duis diam massa, rutrum vel, tempus ac, posuere id, metus. Pellentesque massa lectus, aliquam eget, varius lacinia, rhoncus quis, massa. Nam pulvinar.
Comment by Barry
March 13th, 2009 at 11:55 am
I’d like to attend too but I am way busy last April; could we make it last May instead?
Comment by me
March 13th, 2009 at 12:56 pm
I Would like to say that the first comment of time travel genius. And for all the rest of you that are commenting back and explaining how time travel is impossible, it’s called a joke and you need to get off your computer for the first time in a month and see some f*ing daylight. Hench why you may have not seen someone from the future. Your computer screen only goes so far. So after your done reading this and mastuB*ting today go out and see some light and breath some real air and maybe if your blessed by some god you might be able to see a time traveler.
Comment by me
March 13th, 2009 at 12:57 pm
douchebag much…and yes thats pointed to you
Comment by Colin
March 13th, 2009 at 2:05 pm
Y’know, the writers from LOST probably put it there…
Comment by Dave
March 13th, 2009 at 3:03 pm
“Bill. I found my watch!”
“Excellent! What do you think So-Crates?”
“No way dude.”
“Yes way.”
Comment by Dave
March 13th, 2009 at 3:04 pm
Under “Swiss”, you can read “Seitezin” in small print.
I think you’re on to something.
Comment by Chato
March 13th, 2009 at 5:48 pm
SWISS in all caps means Hoax in Old World Chinese.
Comment by sir jorge
March 13th, 2009 at 8:49 pm
That is definitely one of the weirdest, coolest archeological finds I’ve ever seen.
Comment by Belbe
March 14th, 2009 at 9:41 am
The Doctor or his stupid assistant probably dropped it…
Man some people here need a sense of humour, and good points about setting and clock hands! Though I propose that maybe the glass was just broken or something…
Comment by fsm
March 14th, 2009 at 12:40 pm
And 1.21 jigawatts!
Comment by WWL
March 15th, 2009 at 3:31 pm
Obviously, the Chinese invented the mechanical watch. And they also invented the Swiss.
Comment by JohnAtl
March 16th, 2009 at 7:33 pm
The Chinese were faking another archaeological relic, someone lost their ring.
Simple.
Comment by kimo
March 17th, 2009 at 12:48 am
Of course there were finger watches, necklace watches, etc over 100 years ago, even longer than that! Back in the 1700s there were such jewelry of the wealthy. So a wealthy traveler was in China, maybe there was a flood? Was 10:06 (the time clearly on the watch) the time of death? Person wearing it died (time of death?) and the jewelry washed down and into this tomb. Hmmmm…… Movies are made about such cool stuff!
Starring: Nicholas Cage!
I can see it now.
Comment by crojon
March 24th, 2009 at 5:07 am
its the new rock roll. or will be. a time tralvelin fad.
http://www.ssiws1006.stop-hampertime.com/timeprank-competition.html
check here for details later.
Comment by caleb
March 27th, 2009 at 12:23 pm
Actually those rules for something that’s not invented yet you are making fun of were developed by Albert Einstein in his book on the subject. And they are dictated by theoretical physics. I’m not saying that this was time travel by any means, that’s pretty ridiculous, but what harm does it do in letting people wonder about things? None, so let them think its aliens, time travel, or whatever.
Comment by Fleasucker
March 30th, 2009 at 9:00 am
You all do realize that this is a total fake, and that it was created and posted just to see how many comments people will leave, right?
Comment by Liamaia
March 31st, 2009 at 10:14 am
But I thought everything on the Internet was true
Awe Snap!
Comment by Ileene Marcuse
April 1st, 2009 at 2:27 pm
I found the comments on here way more entertaining than the article! lol
Comment by Crash
April 10th, 2009 at 2:33 pm
I bet if Tommy knew how to time travel, he would go back in time and rethink posting his original comment. Either way, you’re going to need a Flux Capacitor, which I think you can purchase on ebay for a good price. Happy Traveling; see you in the future, or past maybe
Comment by harry
April 14th, 2009 at 6:27 pm
01:26 GMT
Comment by fsgdfg
April 15th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
the engraving “Swiss” on the back is what their probably using to dictate up from down.
Comment by fsgdfg
April 15th, 2009 at 9:51 pm
err, they’re*
Comment by Canna
April 16th, 2009 at 4:51 pm
how about it was washed in by the rain its small enough to fit through some very small holes
Comment by die bitches
May 21st, 2009 at 10:23 am
here's a hint… FAKE!
Comment by Stephen
May 31st, 2009 at 12:54 am
some small animal probably ate it and went inside the tomb and shitted it out inside there …. so its not covered with dirt … its covered with shit ……. lol
Comment by W-Three
June 7th, 2009 at 8:40 pm
Its a small watch, and not a real one at that. I think its fairly obvious that its a replica of a watch formed into the form of a ring. The word 'swiss' could have a completely different meaning.
Whats more, there are no pictures of the writing 'swiss' so we have no idea whether it actually does say swiss, it could be misinterpreted.
Comment by not impressed
June 11th, 2009 at 6:40 pm
im calling bullshit.
Comment by Dan
June 22nd, 2009 at 10:03 pm
Makes me want to read "Timeline" again.!
Comment by memadman
June 24th, 2009 at 2:49 am
Your mama…have it in her ass.
Comment by Ajdetail1 at gmail
June 25th, 2009 at 9:23 pm
Seriously erie , before I decided to comment, I spoke to a number of my colleagues and associates, I believe that it is possible and that there is indeed more discoveries to be made in the near future.
Comment by Corinne
July 3rd, 2009 at 2:08 am
Probably thats what my mother said
Comment by adfgag
July 11th, 2009 at 8:29 am
total BS, that ring is in the form of a handwrist watch. first handworn watches have been invented at the end of the 19th century, so theres no way this ring is 400 yrs old. it even says in one passage that it is thought that the ring is barely one century old but the article later continues its 400yrs story. bs
Comment by Angela
August 2nd, 2009 at 3:09 am
Its styled like a modern watch and the hands look like they were carved in. I think its likely from a barbie sort of doll and ended up in there by some mistake. Obviously hasn't been "sealed".
Or Dr Who accidentally shrank himself back in time and deposited it there.
Comment by Jakob Montrasio
August 12th, 2009 at 9:40 pm
A crazy person would say: That (fake) watch is from one of the workers who created the tomb to make it look like there is that much history in China.
I guess just some tomb robbers were in the tomb before them.
Comment by Alice
August 24th, 2009 at 8:53 am
LOL that's cute.
Comment by Unsolved Mysteries Forum
August 27th, 2009 at 10:17 am
I think this is might be a true story.
Comment by Shaun
September 28th, 2009 at 12:24 am
It looks like time travel is possible and is happening in in china. next thing you'll know we'll find a dell lap top in the great pyramid of giza.