Which watch did Kurt Cobain wear?
The grunge movement may not have been known for the most elegant dress sense, but it nonetheless forged a style all its own. So what watch could Kurt Cobain—a true grunge icon—have worn?
I found myself asking this existential question while listening on the radio to The Man who sold the World, a song performed by Nirvana from the album Unplugged in New York.
Yes, the train of thought is a bit twisted: Kurt Cobain -> David Bowie / Ziggy Stardust -> Fashion/Look -> Kurt Cobain -> Fashion/Look -> Watch -> What watch did Kurt Cobain own?
The grunge look
Long, unkempt hair; an oversized shirt (bonus points for lumberjack checks); ripped sweaters and jeans; and a good old pair of dirty but comfortable sneakers made up the ideal kit in the 1990s.
How do you match a watch to that kind of wardrobe? Obviously, in the anti-fashion spirit intrinsic to grunge, nobody asked the question—you just strapped on the first watch that came to hand. Still, one can suspect that this nonconformity was, at least a little, “curated”.
Kurt Cobain’s watch
Kurt Cobain always wore the same watch, right up until the day he tragically blew his brains out (the photo is available online, but I chose not to include it here).
It was a very basic watch with a Japanese quartz movement, made in Hong Kong in the 1980s for a local store owner (furniture and home appliances) well known around Portland. Tom Peterson used to run ads on local television in which he appeared in person. He also liked producing promotional items bearing his likeness (Halloween masks, alarm clocks, watches, and more).
Here is one of his TV spots (well worth a watch) 🙂
After Kurt Cobain’s death, the watch was given to Kat Bjelland, singer of the band Babes in Toyland and a friend of the couple, by Courtney Love.
According to Bjelland, the watch stopped working a week after his suicide.
