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Corvus Watch Co. Co-Founder James Cameron Convicted on Child Porn Charges

James Cameron, Co-founder of Corvus Watch Co. convicted on child porn charges. Photo: Bangor Daily News

James M. Cameron, one of the founders and the primary visionary behind the Corvus Watch Co., was convicted in federal court last month on 13 counts associated with child pornography.

Cameron founded Corvus Watch Company along with brother Tom after being fired from his job as a drug prosecutor in Maine. Cameron had previously posted under the name “camfam” in watch enthusiast forums.

All else aside, there was a lot to like about Corvus watches themselves. The Corvus “Bradley” model was itself based on a Bulova prototype made in the 1950s to compete for the same contract that was ultimately won by the now-legendary Tornek-Rayville TR-900. The Bulova design never went into production, but the Tornek Raville TR-900 is now highly sought after by collectors and examples typically trade in the low 5 figures but their rarity means this rarely even happens at all.

Corvus “Bradley” Dive Watch. Photo: Corvus Watch Co.

Although powered by the respectable if commonplace workhorse ETA 2824 movements the Bradley also offered a dark “satellite black” dial, a Kolsterised (hardened finish) 316L stainless steel case, and even a sapphire bezel as an option. Design seemed to have been painstakingly thought out down to the barest detail with Otaku-like focus. Without the unfavorable publicity of this incident it’s conceivable that Corvus Watch could have become quite successful.

As yet it remains unclear what impact Cameron’s conviction may have on Corvus or the value or desirability of Corvus watches. Enthusiasm among collectors had already cooled some months ago after the initial allegations came to light. At present the Corvus webpage remains active and seems to show the Bradley as being in stock and available for purchase, though there’s no telling what may eventually become of the Corvus Watch company. Secondhand prices in the collector already seem to be approaching some 50% of retail, which doesn’t bode well.

Cameron faces a sentence of between 5 and 20 years. He is presently being held in federal custody awaiting sentencing, expected later this year.

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4 Responses

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  1. Aileen says

    No, no, no! What a blow. I never expected the allegations to be true. But he’s already convicted, which means they are. Some people are just not who they seem to be.

  2. Guy David says

    I like the watch, but this gives the brand a realy bad name!

  3. Mule Feet says

    The latest on Mr. Cameron.
    http://www.kjonline.com/news/Ex-prosecutor-who-fled-Maine-tried-to-print-phony-checks-to-finance-trip-.html
    From :
    KENNEBEC JOURNAL
    March 1, 20013
    Ex-prosecutor who fled Maine printed fake checks
    Court documents reveal how James Cameron planned to pay expenses when he fled to New Mexico.

    By Eric Russell [email protected]
    Staff Writer

    Court documents filed this week shed light on how James Cameron, a former Maine drug prosecutor who was convicted on child pornography charges, planned to pay his expenses when he fled from Maine to New Mexico last fall.

    According to an affidavit in U.S. District Court in New Mexico seeking permission to search Cameron’s car, computer and other items, he printed two phony checks totaling $74,000 using an insurance account tied to a small online business, Corvus Watch Co.

    A check for $42,000 was to be deposited into a Chase Bank account in Cameron’s name. A check for $32,000 was sent from an unknown address to the Maine State Credit Union for deposit in another account belonging to Cameron.

    Cameron reportedly printed both on blank or pre-printed checks that he bought from a company, Advantage Laser Products, on Nov. 8 — one week before he cut off his electronic monitoring device and fled from his home in Rome.

    The checks were immediately suspected of being fraudulent and were not processed, according to the affidavit.

    The document says Cameron used his ATM card at several locations in Arizona on Nov. 28 and 29, which helped federal agents close in on his whereabouts.

    Cameron was arrested on Dec. 2 in Albuquerque, N.M., as he left the bathroom of a bookstore.

    Last week, he pleaded guilty in U.S. District Court in Portland to one count of contempt of court related to his escape. He awaits sentencing on that charge and resentencing on six counts of child pornography.

    Cameron fled one day after the U.S. 1st Circuit Court of Appeals in Boston vacated seven of his 13 convictions but upheld the other six.

    Cameron was free on bail while the court considered his appeal, but had conditions including a curfew and electronic monitoring.

    He will be sentenced on the contempt charge in the next three to five months. The resentencing on the child pornography counts has not been scheduled, but could happen in conjunction with contempt sentence.

    The six remaining child pornography counts could get Cameron five to 20 years in prison. The one count of criminal contempt could warrant a maximum of 10 years in prison.

    Cameron, who was an assistant attorney general in Maine for 18 years, was fired in April 2008, four months after Maine State Police started investigating his Internet activity. He was targeted after the National Center for Missing and Exploited Children reported that multiple images of child pornography were found in a Yahoo account that belonged to his wife.

    After he was fired, Cameron and his brother founded Corvus Watch Co., an online venture to sell and procure replica timepieces.

    Cameron’s interest in watches went back much further. In fact, one way police found that Cameron was accessing child pornography is because numerous Internet searches about watches were mixed in with searches of child pornography.

    Cameron was found guilty in 2010 on 13 counts of possession and transmission of child pornography. He was sentenced in 2011 to 16 years in prison. He served about a year before being released pending his appeal.

    He is being held in the Strafford County Jail in New Hampshire until his resentencing.

    Eric Russell can be contacted at 791-6344 or at:

    [email protected]

    Twitter: @PPHEricRussell

Continuing the Discussion

  1. independent watch projects » Turmoil for Corvus Watch co-founder linked to this post on 29 September 2010

    […] found out on the blog I Already Have a Watch that Corvus co-founder James M. Cameron, has been tried throughout late August 2010 for […]



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