1 00:00:04,080 --> 00:00:07,800 Speaker 1: Welcomed Aaron Manky's Cabinet of Curiosities, a production of iHeart 2 00:00:07,880 --> 00:00:14,440 Speaker 1: Radio and Grim and Mild. Our world is full of 3 00:00:14,520 --> 00:00:18,479 Speaker 1: the unexplainable, and if history is an open book, all 4 00:00:18,520 --> 00:00:22,079 Speaker 1: of these amazing tales are right there on display, just 5 00:00:22,200 --> 00:00:28,840 Speaker 1: waiting for us to explore. Welcome to the Cabinet of Curiosities. 6 00:00:36,640 --> 00:00:39,159 Speaker 1: An inventor doesn't know they're ahead of their time in 7 00:00:39,200 --> 00:00:41,680 Speaker 1: the moment when they create something new, they hope to 8 00:00:41,680 --> 00:00:44,720 Speaker 1: accomplish two goals. One is for their creation to catch 9 00:00:44,760 --> 00:00:47,280 Speaker 1: on with the public. After all, if it worked for them, 10 00:00:47,320 --> 00:00:49,680 Speaker 1: surely there are others out there who might benefit from 11 00:00:49,720 --> 00:00:53,400 Speaker 1: its existence. The other goal is to scratch a particular itch. 12 00:00:53,920 --> 00:00:56,480 Speaker 1: Maybe their invention was meant to lighten their load or 13 00:00:56,720 --> 00:01:00,360 Speaker 1: save them time. For watchmaker Charles Vermont, it was to 14 00:01:00,440 --> 00:01:03,840 Speaker 1: keep time. Vermaux had worked for the Martel Watch Company, 15 00:01:03,960 --> 00:01:06,600 Speaker 1: a Swiss chronograph supplier that was acquired in the nineteen 16 00:01:06,600 --> 00:01:09,720 Speaker 1: fifties by one of its biggest customers, the Swiss based 17 00:01:09,800 --> 00:01:12,760 Speaker 1: Zenith Watch Company, not to be confused with the American 18 00:01:12,840 --> 00:01:17,279 Speaker 1: Zenith Electronics Corporation. Back in nineteen sixty two, Zeneth Watches 19 00:01:17,319 --> 00:01:20,160 Speaker 1: started working on a new type of chronograph movement, one 20 00:01:20,240 --> 00:01:23,920 Speaker 1: that was self winding and highly accurate. A chronograph watch 21 00:01:24,000 --> 00:01:27,360 Speaker 1: was a time piece that combined a standard timetelling display 22 00:01:27,400 --> 00:01:31,280 Speaker 1: with a stop watch. Now, most chronographs today incorporate two 23 00:01:31,400 --> 00:01:35,119 Speaker 1: or three subdials to measure things like distance or moon phases, 24 00:01:35,120 --> 00:01:37,920 Speaker 1: but at its most basic level, a chronograph watch merely 25 00:01:37,920 --> 00:01:40,880 Speaker 1: implies the existence of an embedded stop watch in the 26 00:01:40,880 --> 00:01:43,560 Speaker 1: face of the watch. However, in order to bring an 27 00:01:43,560 --> 00:01:47,280 Speaker 1: automatic chronograph to its watches, Zenneth couldn't just use off 28 00:01:47,319 --> 00:01:50,160 Speaker 1: the shelf tools. The team behind the project had to 29 00:01:50,200 --> 00:01:54,520 Speaker 1: create all new equipment and processes. Vermeaux was part of 30 00:01:54,560 --> 00:01:57,720 Speaker 1: this team, having joined Zenith when they acquired Martel, and 31 00:01:57,760 --> 00:02:00,240 Speaker 1: he and his colleagues had spent seven years developed being 32 00:02:00,240 --> 00:02:02,480 Speaker 1: what came to be known as the El Primero movement. 33 00:02:03,000 --> 00:02:05,160 Speaker 1: Unveiled to the world in nineteen sixty nine, the El 34 00:02:05,200 --> 00:02:09,000 Speaker 1: Primero was the first automatic chronograph which was integrated directly 35 00:02:09,040 --> 00:02:12,359 Speaker 1: into the watches main movement. Many chronographs at the time 36 00:02:12,400 --> 00:02:15,880 Speaker 1: were simply added onto the existing watch as a separate component, 37 00:02:16,000 --> 00:02:18,160 Speaker 1: but what set the El Primero apart was that it 38 00:02:18,200 --> 00:02:20,560 Speaker 1: didn't need to be wound in order to work. It 39 00:02:20,639 --> 00:02:23,240 Speaker 1: relied on the motion of the wearer's arm to keep 40 00:02:23,280 --> 00:02:28,240 Speaker 1: the primary watch and the chronograph ticking onward. Unfortunately, the 41 00:02:28,320 --> 00:02:30,880 Speaker 1: mechanical watch market started to take a tumble during the 42 00:02:30,960 --> 00:02:35,320 Speaker 1: nineteen seventies. Automatic pieces such as the El Primero involved 43 00:02:35,360 --> 00:02:37,560 Speaker 1: a number of gears and springs which had to be 44 00:02:37,639 --> 00:02:41,519 Speaker 1: manually assembled. This made them costly to produce and expensive 45 00:02:41,520 --> 00:02:45,240 Speaker 1: for the general public to purchase. Meanwhile, the Japanese company 46 00:02:45,320 --> 00:02:48,160 Speaker 1: Saco was working on an automatic watch that ran on 47 00:02:48,280 --> 00:02:51,400 Speaker 1: a battery. Its new Courts movement was more accurate than 48 00:02:51,440 --> 00:02:54,600 Speaker 1: those coming out of Switzerland. It was also less expensive 49 00:02:54,639 --> 00:02:58,760 Speaker 1: to both produce and to buy. Sacho's watches were cheaper, sturdier, 50 00:02:58,960 --> 00:03:03,240 Speaker 1: and required less maintenance then their mechanical counterparts. Zennef had 51 00:03:03,240 --> 00:03:05,760 Speaker 1: a choice to make. It could continue to sink money 52 00:03:05,840 --> 00:03:07,960 Speaker 1: into the El Primiro, or it could get with the 53 00:03:08,000 --> 00:03:11,440 Speaker 1: times and switched to Courts. Well. With its bottom line 54 00:03:11,480 --> 00:03:14,800 Speaker 1: shrinking each year, the choice became clear. The l Primiro 55 00:03:14,960 --> 00:03:18,520 Speaker 1: was out and Courts was in. The company was sold 56 00:03:18,520 --> 00:03:22,440 Speaker 1: in n to Zenith Radio Corporation, the American company that 57 00:03:22,480 --> 00:03:25,520 Speaker 1: had previously been unrelated. The new owner put out the 58 00:03:25,560 --> 00:03:28,200 Speaker 1: word to the whole watched division that all resources were 59 00:03:28,200 --> 00:03:31,480 Speaker 1: to be moved away from mechanical movements and devoted only 60 00:03:31,520 --> 00:03:36,520 Speaker 1: to courts movements instead. Vermat, however, was beside himself with grief. 61 00:03:36,920 --> 00:03:39,200 Speaker 1: He and his team had toiled on the El Primiro 62 00:03:39,280 --> 00:03:41,960 Speaker 1: for almost a decade. At that point it deserved to 63 00:03:42,000 --> 00:03:43,920 Speaker 1: be saved. He wrote a letter to the head of 64 00:03:43,920 --> 00:03:46,480 Speaker 1: the company in Chicago begging him to keep the automatic 65 00:03:46,520 --> 00:03:51,160 Speaker 1: chronograph in production. Sadly, his pleas went unanswered. The old 66 00:03:51,200 --> 00:03:54,080 Speaker 1: Martel building he had developed the El Primiro in was 67 00:03:54,120 --> 00:03:57,160 Speaker 1: closed down. All the tools inside were broken down or 68 00:03:57,240 --> 00:04:00,360 Speaker 1: sold off. As the years passed, however, it is clear 69 00:04:00,440 --> 00:04:03,760 Speaker 1: that Zenith's migration to courts movements had been a mistake. 70 00:04:04,280 --> 00:04:07,120 Speaker 1: The existing tools and equipment hadn't been made for this 71 00:04:07,200 --> 00:04:11,360 Speaker 1: type of work, and neither had the employees in night 72 00:04:11,520 --> 00:04:15,240 Speaker 1: Zenith Radio Corporation sold its watch division back to the Swiss. 73 00:04:15,480 --> 00:04:18,760 Speaker 1: Four years later, another luxury watchmaker was looking to revamp 74 00:04:18,839 --> 00:04:23,160 Speaker 1: one of its signature brands, the Rolex Daytona. The Daytona 75 00:04:23,240 --> 00:04:26,000 Speaker 1: had been a chronograph meant for race car drivers. Actor 76 00:04:26,080 --> 00:04:28,479 Speaker 1: Paul Newman, who had raced in the nineteen seventies, was 77 00:04:28,560 --> 00:04:31,760 Speaker 1: often seen with a Daytona on his wrist, but Rolex 78 00:04:31,800 --> 00:04:34,560 Speaker 1: wanted an automatic movement that could fit within its thin 79 00:04:34,720 --> 00:04:38,520 Speaker 1: oyster style case. Zenith's El Primiro was the perfect fit, 80 00:04:38,800 --> 00:04:41,280 Speaker 1: and Rolex was willing to give them the contract if 81 00:04:41,279 --> 00:04:44,800 Speaker 1: they would resume production of their chronograph once again. But 82 00:04:45,120 --> 00:04:47,680 Speaker 1: all of the El Premiro tools had been destroyed or 83 00:04:47,720 --> 00:04:53,279 Speaker 1: sold back in nineteen seventy one. Well, not exactly luckily 84 00:04:53,680 --> 00:04:57,600 Speaker 1: for both Rolex and Zeneth. Charles Vermont hadn't listened to 85 00:04:57,680 --> 00:05:00,760 Speaker 1: his superiors. While his colleagues had been tearing down all 86 00:05:00,760 --> 00:05:04,080 Speaker 1: the tools inside the old Martel facility, Vermont had been 87 00:05:04,120 --> 00:05:07,359 Speaker 1: squirreling away the equipment and plans needed to manufacture the 88 00:05:07,360 --> 00:05:11,799 Speaker 1: El Premiro in the building's attic, and the rest is history. 89 00:05:12,200 --> 00:05:14,920 Speaker 1: Rolex signed a ten year contract with Zeneth for their movements, 90 00:05:14,960 --> 00:05:17,520 Speaker 1: which were so beloved by watch owners and collectors that 91 00:05:17,560 --> 00:05:20,960 Speaker 1: they were used in the Daytona from until two thousand 92 00:05:21,360 --> 00:05:25,160 Speaker 1: and in the process, they became highly collectible. That Rolex 93 00:05:25,240 --> 00:05:27,560 Speaker 1: Daytona model owned by Paul Newman that I mentioned a 94 00:05:27,560 --> 00:05:30,000 Speaker 1: moment ago. It went up for auction back in two 95 00:05:30,040 --> 00:05:35,159 Speaker 1: thousand seventeen and sold for nearly eighteen million dollars. Charles 96 00:05:35,240 --> 00:05:37,599 Speaker 1: Vermont knew a good thing. While he had it. All 97 00:05:37,640 --> 00:05:39,279 Speaker 1: he had to do was wait for the right moment. 98 00:05:39,680 --> 00:05:42,680 Speaker 1: His disregard for his boss's demands not only saved the 99 00:05:42,760 --> 00:05:46,440 Speaker 1: Zenith Company from financial collapse, but also preserved the modern 100 00:05:46,480 --> 00:05:51,880 Speaker 1: automatic chronograph from a horological tragedy being lost to time. 101 00:06:06,040 --> 00:06:09,400 Speaker 1: If someone had killed over three people without leaving behind 102 00:06:09,480 --> 00:06:12,400 Speaker 1: any evidence, they wouldn't just be feared. They would be 103 00:06:12,480 --> 00:06:16,039 Speaker 1: hunted by every crime busting agency in the world. The FBI, 104 00:06:16,240 --> 00:06:19,719 Speaker 1: the CIA, and Inner Poll would be coordinating their efforts. 105 00:06:19,920 --> 00:06:22,600 Speaker 1: There wouldn't be a bunker or shack anywhere in remote 106 00:06:22,720 --> 00:06:26,520 Speaker 1: enough locations for such an individual to escape too. And yet, 107 00:06:26,520 --> 00:06:29,480 Speaker 1: for over thirty years, one name has struck fear into 108 00:06:29,480 --> 00:06:32,680 Speaker 1: the men, women and children of Central Africa. It is 109 00:06:32,680 --> 00:06:35,400 Speaker 1: a name synonymous with death and the notion of not 110 00:06:35,480 --> 00:06:39,320 Speaker 1: realizing someone is in danger until it's too late. That 111 00:06:39,440 --> 00:06:43,880 Speaker 1: name is Gustav. In the eastern center of the continent, 112 00:06:44,080 --> 00:06:48,520 Speaker 1: between Rwanda and Tanzania sits the small, landlocked country of Burundi. 113 00:06:48,920 --> 00:06:51,760 Speaker 1: Burundi's population is made up mostly of farmers, and its 114 00:06:51,839 --> 00:06:55,480 Speaker 1: chief exports is coffee. The two primary people groups within 115 00:06:55,520 --> 00:06:58,560 Speaker 1: Burundi are the Hutu and the Tutsi, the ladder of 116 00:06:58,560 --> 00:07:01,560 Speaker 1: which controls the military and economy of the country. Despite 117 00:07:01,560 --> 00:07:04,839 Speaker 1: being the minority. Both sides have been fighting since the 118 00:07:04,839 --> 00:07:08,240 Speaker 1: early nineteen sixties, when Baroni fought for and won its 119 00:07:08,279 --> 00:07:11,920 Speaker 1: independence from Belgium. However, despite the Hutu and the Tutsi 120 00:07:12,160 --> 00:07:15,320 Speaker 1: never seen eye to eye, both groups understand the mutual 121 00:07:15,400 --> 00:07:19,600 Speaker 1: threat that they share. Gustav Au Gustav first started making 122 00:07:19,680 --> 00:07:22,040 Speaker 1: waves in the late nineteen eighties when he struck the 123 00:07:22,120 --> 00:07:27,400 Speaker 1: villages of Magara, Minago and Kanyosha. He was a patient killer, too, 124 00:07:27,720 --> 00:07:30,520 Speaker 1: lying in wait for his moment to strike. Those who 125 00:07:30,560 --> 00:07:33,480 Speaker 1: survived his attacks noticed that he was larger than average 126 00:07:33,680 --> 00:07:37,360 Speaker 1: and had a scar across the top of his head. Unfortunately, 127 00:07:37,680 --> 00:07:40,280 Speaker 1: no one was able to stop him. When Gustav attacked, 128 00:07:40,280 --> 00:07:42,600 Speaker 1: he would grab a victim and dragged them into the water, 129 00:07:42,920 --> 00:07:45,680 Speaker 1: the last time they would ever fill their lungs with oxygen. 130 00:07:46,000 --> 00:07:49,560 Speaker 1: Attempts to kill him proved fruitless. His body bore numerous 131 00:07:49,560 --> 00:07:52,840 Speaker 1: scars from all sorts of weapons. Nothing could break through 132 00:07:52,880 --> 00:07:55,920 Speaker 1: his tough skin, and few people ever got close enough 133 00:07:55,960 --> 00:07:59,679 Speaker 1: to try in the first place. But one man certainly 134 00:07:59,720 --> 00:08:03,040 Speaker 1: gave his best shot. His name was Patrese Faye, and 135 00:08:03,160 --> 00:08:05,200 Speaker 1: he had been living in Burundi for some time when 136 00:08:05,200 --> 00:08:09,440 Speaker 1: Gustav's murder spree piqued his curiosity. Fay was originally from 137 00:08:09,480 --> 00:08:12,840 Speaker 1: France and fancied himself something of a hunter. He believed 138 00:08:12,840 --> 00:08:15,240 Speaker 1: that he could find Gustaf and bring him down for good. 139 00:08:15,760 --> 00:08:18,120 Speaker 1: He was granted a hunting license for that purpose in 140 00:08:18,160 --> 00:08:21,160 Speaker 1: the late nineties. But don't worry, it wasn't a license 141 00:08:21,200 --> 00:08:24,720 Speaker 1: to hunt people. Gustaf wasn't even the killer's original name. 142 00:08:25,160 --> 00:08:27,560 Speaker 1: Faye was the person who had given him this moniker, 143 00:08:28,000 --> 00:08:32,160 Speaker 1: because crocodiles aren't born with names. That's right. Gustaf was 144 00:08:32,200 --> 00:08:35,600 Speaker 1: a twenty foot long, two thousand pound male nile crocodile 145 00:08:35,960 --> 00:08:40,880 Speaker 1: terrorizing villages along the Rusizi River and Lake Tanganika. Fay 146 00:08:40,960 --> 00:08:43,199 Speaker 1: soon found what he was looking for and met face 147 00:08:43,280 --> 00:08:46,280 Speaker 1: too toothy faced with Gustaf and tried to take him down. 148 00:08:46,720 --> 00:08:49,800 Speaker 1: All he did was add to the crocs menagerie of scars. 149 00:08:49,840 --> 00:08:52,840 Speaker 1: Though after that failure, the would be hunter approached his 150 00:08:52,880 --> 00:08:56,760 Speaker 1: prey from a new perspective. He wouldn't try to kill Gustaf. 151 00:08:56,760 --> 00:08:59,480 Speaker 1: He would try to track him, and as Fay continued 152 00:08:59,520 --> 00:09:02,640 Speaker 1: to study him, Gustav's reputation grew as high as his 153 00:09:02,679 --> 00:09:05,160 Speaker 1: body counts. He was as big as a great white 154 00:09:05,160 --> 00:09:08,320 Speaker 1: shark and twice as mean, despite the fact that crocodiles 155 00:09:08,320 --> 00:09:11,199 Speaker 1: weren't known to kill people or other animals for sports. 156 00:09:11,760 --> 00:09:14,920 Speaker 1: According to Alison Leslie, a crocodile expert who was featured 157 00:09:14,920 --> 00:09:18,720 Speaker 1: on a television program about Faye and Gustaf, crocodiles and 158 00:09:18,800 --> 00:09:23,640 Speaker 1: a quote take food opportunistically, they attack if they are hungry, 159 00:09:24,200 --> 00:09:27,280 Speaker 1: but not Gustav. He seemed to go after anyone and 160 00:09:27,400 --> 00:09:31,280 Speaker 1: everyone in his way. However, Faye had cataloged every death 161 00:09:31,320 --> 00:09:35,080 Speaker 1: attributed to the killer croc According to him, Gustaf had 162 00:09:35,080 --> 00:09:39,400 Speaker 1: only devoured about sixty people. We may never know the truth. 163 00:09:39,679 --> 00:09:42,480 Speaker 1: Even the existence of Gustav today is up for debate. 164 00:09:42,840 --> 00:09:45,720 Speaker 1: He was last spotted some time before two thousand nineteen, 165 00:09:46,080 --> 00:09:49,520 Speaker 1: but in an article published in Travel Africa magazine that year, 166 00:09:49,800 --> 00:09:53,720 Speaker 1: it was reported that Gustav had finally been killed. Of course, 167 00:09:54,000 --> 00:09:56,960 Speaker 1: no pictures were ever published, nor was the name of 168 00:09:56,960 --> 00:10:00,840 Speaker 1: the killer ever mentioned. Until we have definitive proof, Chances 169 00:10:00,880 --> 00:10:04,000 Speaker 1: are that Gustaf is still out there gliding just below 170 00:10:04,040 --> 00:10:12,440 Speaker 1: the river's surface, waiting to grab a quick bite. I 171 00:10:12,480 --> 00:10:16,000 Speaker 1: hope you've enjoyed today's guided tour of the Cabinet of Curiosities. 172 00:10:16,360 --> 00:10:19,440 Speaker 1: Subscribe for free on Apple Podcasts, or learn more about 173 00:10:19,480 --> 00:10:24,000 Speaker 1: the show by visiting Curiosities podcast dot com. The show 174 00:10:24,240 --> 00:10:27,520 Speaker 1: was created by me Aaron Manky in partnership with how 175 00:10:27,600 --> 00:10:31,160 Speaker 1: Stuff Works. I make another award winning show called Lore, 176 00:10:31,400 --> 00:10:35,040 Speaker 1: which is a podcast, book series, and television show, and 177 00:10:35,080 --> 00:10:37,320 Speaker 1: you can learn all about it over at the World 178 00:10:37,320 --> 00:10:41,760 Speaker 1: of Lore dot com. And until next time, stay curious.