Created by Stephen J. Cannell and Frank Lupo and produced for NBC by Universal Television and Stephen J. Cannell Productions, The A-Team is an American action-adventure series that aired from January 23, 1983 to March 8, 1987. The show follows four former U.S. Army Special Forces soldiers — Colonel John “Hannibal” Smith, Lieutenant Templeton “Faceman” Peck, Sergeant B.A. Baracus, and Captain H.M. “Howling Mad” Murdock — who escape military prison after being falsely convicted of a crime during the Vietnam War and become fugitive soldiers of fortune, helping ordinary people against corrupt and violent adversaries. The series was a defining action property of the American 1980s, drawing between 20 and 24 percent of all American television households during its first three seasons, and its catchphrases, characters, and iconic GMC van became embedded in popular culture worldwide.
Behind the Scenes
The series was conceived at the direct instigation of Brandon Tartikoff, then president of NBC Entertainment, who challenged Cannell and Lupo to create a show combining the appeal of The Magnificent Seven with the energy of contemporary action cinema. The role of B.A. Baracus was written specifically for Mr. T, whose public persona as a muscular, mohawked, gold-chain-wearing enforcer was essentially translated wholesale into the character. For the role of Hannibal, James Coburn was seriously considered before George Peppard was cast; the irony is that Peppard had originally been considered for a role in the actual Magnificent Seven. Tim Dunigan played Faceman in the pilot episode but was replaced by Dirk Benedict from the third episode onward because producers felt Dunigan looked too young on screen. Despite the show’s relentlessly cartoonish violence, fatalities among antagonists were almost nonexistent — a deliberate creative policy making it suitable for family viewing. Guest stars across the series’ five seasons included Boy George, Hulk Hogan, Isaac Hayes, Pat Sajak, and Vanna White. The note in the closing credits crediting GMC for the van was a landmark early example of automotive product placement in American television. Peppard, who had long struggled to find consistent work following his early Hollywood success, frequently described the show as the best acting job he ever had, and the first time he had ever seen himself immortalized as a toy action figure.
The Watch
The watch worn by George Peppard as Colonel John “Hannibal” Smith throughout The A-Team is a Baylor Chronograph reference 1079, powered by the Swiss manual-winding Landeron caliber 349. Baylor was the house brand of Zales Jewelers, a Dallas-based jewelry and watch retailer, and many of its models were manufactured in Switzerland using cases and components from prestigious suppliers. Early Baylor chronographs share the same barrel-style stainless steel 38mm case with screw-down caseback and pump pushers as the Heuer Autavia reference 2446, along with the same rotating bezel and triple-register panda dial layout — the connection being that Heuer reportedly sold a significant stock of manual-winding chronograph cases to Zales as the Geneva manufacturer transitioned to automatic movements in the 1970s. The Baylor is distinguished from its Heuer cousin primarily by the use of a central sweeping chronograph seconds hand in the characteristic “lollipop” style, and by the reverse panda dial configuration — a dark background with light subdials — that gives the watch its particular visual punch. The Landeron 349 calibre inside offers three registers covering 60 seconds, 30 minutes, and 12 hours, making it a fully functional tool chronograph. The watch retailed through Zales stores at a fraction of the price of an equivalent Heuer, placing genuine Swiss chronograph engineering inside shopping mall display cases across suburban America. There is no evidence of any formal product placement arrangement between Zales and the production; the watch appears to have been Peppard’s own personal piece, worn on set by choice — making it one of the most authentic and unsponsored watch appearances in the history of American television. Its identification was completed only by dedicated vintage watch researchers cross-referencing frame captures from the series with surviving examples of the reference, and it has since become one of the most sought-after Baylor references on the secondary market, with well-preserved examples commanding prices that would have astonished anyone who bought one new at a Zales counter in 1971.
Details
Brand:
Marketplace Price
€1 200
Movie Year:
1983
As seen on:
Movie/TV Series:
