“What kind of watch does Mickey Mouse wear?”
“A Spiro Agnew watch!”
I guess it was funny at the time. You had to be there. Of course, if you’re reading this, you probably were.
Spiro Agnew was definitely not a soft-spoken individual. An avowed Hawk, he was constantly criticizing those who questioned the Vietnam War. Remember his calling the media “nattering nabobs of negativism?” He was a dream come true for Johnny Carson, who was provided with plenty of material for opening-show-monologues every time Agnew would hold forth.
The watches came out in 1970. They sold like hotcakes for a time.
By the time Agnew was embroiled in his infamous scandals (taking bribes while in office was looked down upon), their manufacturing had stopped. 1973 saw him resign, and the watches quickly became a forgotten fad.
However, thanks to eBay, you can still score one if it tickles your fancy. They seem to run about $60 to $80.
So here’s to Spiro Agnew, man of many unique achievements. He was the only Vice President to have Greek lineage, the only one to resign in disgrace, and the only one to ever have a wristwatch named after him.