Military watches

The watches developed for the military forces make up one of the most interesting branches of watchmaking culture. For some time now they have become iconic products in the world of collectibles.

The history of military watches begins in the 1800s with marine chronometers that accurately indicated longitude, allowing you to always sail in the right direction. In a matter of a few decades war pushed the war industry to develop increasingly advanced, functional, accurate, reliable and durable devices. Thus there was a shift from chronometers for longitude to hour‐markers, watches.

The models we are going to discuss today were produced by three iconic companies in the world of military watchmaking: Hamilton, Longines, and Omega.

Hamilton

Hamilton Navigation Masterwatch

In production since 1942, this watch takes after a similar pocket watch used by the British Royal Navy. It was first identified with H.S.3 then with NATO numbering. The caliber is 3992 B with 22 rubies, 6-position adjustment and temperature. One peculiarity is that outside the 12-hour dial there is another red dial marking the minutes, and further outside still is a decimal crown for the seconds. The system was very useful for mathematical calculations, moreover the movement was protected by a sturdy nickel case.

Serial: 4,025,000

Hamilton Navigation Watch AN5740-1 USAF

The flagship of the Americans in the Korean War, this model is among the most widely used watches by the Navy and Air Force. The 22-jewel 4992B movement is among the finest ever produced by the company. The dial is 24-hour, black with white hands and the seconds dial on the outside.

Hamilton Crono mod.23

With this model the company has achieved the highest level of chronograph accuracy. It was used in aviation by the U.S. Air Force and the British, mainly for calculations related to aircraft flight paths such as position, elevation and distances. Between 1943 and 1956, 23,146 models were produced.

Hamilton 987A ORD.DEPT USA

Manufactured since 1937 with 987A movement with 17 or 18 jewels. The snap-in case back was substitued by a screw-in case back, then from 1945 on it was equipped with a parkerized case. The US Army alone used more than 110,000 of them between 1942 and 1945; 3,000 were also supplied to the Russians and Canadians.

Hamilton General Purpose W46374B USA

It’s one of Hamilton’s most recent models, coming into production in 1981. It mounts an 11 1/2-line INT 7420/3 caliber with a 7-jewel movement made in Switzerland. The abbreviation H3 indicates the presence of tritium, to make hands and numbers luminescent. In fact, the manufacturer recommends disposing of the watch once it is finished being used because of its potential radioactivity.

Omega

Omega WWW

Omega was the most active company during World War II. The watch mounts a 30-caliber dial on 16 rubies; for the Air Force the color was white, and for the Army and Navy black. There are variants with three types of cases: nickel-plated brass, aluminum, and steel.

Seriale: 10,000,000

Omega Seamaster 300

It is a diver’s watch, in fact it bears the British Army’s W10 mark, but it has also been used by the Royal Navy under NATO marks 0552. It is sturdy with refined mechanics, caliber 552 on 24 rubies, automatic movement. Watertight case.

Serial: 29,000,000

Omega COSD

Paratrooper watch very similar to the Longines COSD, developed in 1945. The major differences are in the dial, which in this case is black with luminescent numerals. These watches were used by landing troops and the British contingent in India.

Serial: 10.300.000

Omega RAF

This watch, in production since 1953, was purchased in large quantities by the RAF for use by fighter pilots. It is a sturdy, watertight, shockproof item with a pleasant design. Under the case was engraved NATO code 6645, the 6B mark identifying the RAF, and the order number with the year of manufacture.

Seriale: 13,500,000

Longines

Longines British Army

Longines antimagnetic watch with watertight case. Movement on 17 rubies, Breguet balance spring, compensated balance, caliber 14.68M. Black dial with white luminescent and red numbering for afternoon hours. It was used by the British Army and Air Force.

Serial: 6,904,500

Longines underwater

Also used by the Italian Navy, the Longines diver entered the market in 1964 and has a 42mm diameter screw-down case and a thick glass. It also has an internal rotating bezel that can be operated from the crown at two o’clock to calculate dive times.

Serial:12,368,962

Longines COSD

This is a watch produced in 1944, aimed mainly at paratroopers. That is why it is very resistant to violent landings, in addition to being watertight. The movements are fixed inside a particularly sturdy case, and the glass rests on a bezel with a cork gasket. The case back is marked with the number 2340, which indicates the paratroop division.

Serial: 6,713,600

Longines Weems / Weems USAF

It is a watch used widely in the Air Force from 1940 onward. Named after Second Lieutenant Philip Van Horn Weems, who became an aviation navigation specialist developing useful systems for many other pilots. The key invention here was the graduated rotating crown, which was used to perfectly synchronize the second hand to the time signal. Shortly after other manufacturers, including Zenith, Movado and Omega, replicated the model.

There is also a smaller variant, the USAF Weems, with an external rotating bezel and very similar to a ladies’ watch.

Serial: 5.950.000

Longines A7

Conceived in 1935 for the U.S. Air Force, the Longines A7 had a peculiarity: the winding crown and dial were offset to make them easier to read during piloting or surveying. The case is metal with a double hinged case back, the dial is clear with luminescent hands and numbers to be readable even at night.

Serial: 5,333,330

Longines Cronostop

Produced since 1943, this watch was used mainly during World War II. There are two peculiarities: a very small 12.68Z movement on 18 jewels, set in a very large case; and an oversized winding crown so that it can be used even by a gloved hand.

Serial: 6,522,700