# Wehrmacht Afrika Corps Wristwatch?



## jbaus (Aug 18, 2016)

Hey all,

I picked up a wristwatch in Poland a few months back and was wondering if I could get some more info on it. I was told it is from the Afrika Corps. Although it seems likely to be a fantasy item someone on a military forum suggested I post it on here for some opinions.

Here is a link to some images of the front and back, thanks in advance:



http://imgur.com/HFmCK


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## WRENCH (Jun 20, 2016)

Don't know about its authenticity, but here's some links to similar items.

https://new.liveauctioneers.com/item/11935568

http://touch.adverts.ie/other-jewellery-watches/german-wrist-watch-delbana-swiss-death-s-head-skull/5610360


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## jasonm (Nov 22, 2003)

I may be wrong but it looks later than WW2 to me.


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## Nobbythesheep (Apr 23, 2016)

There were loads of Russian Leica copies (Fed, mostly) with German WW2 insignia all over them a few years ago. Apart from a few Luftwaffe cameras there were very few Leicas carrying insignia of any kind. Rommel's Leica was identified only by it's lack of serial numbers.

I suspect these are (not particularly clever) fakes.


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## Carlos Fandango (Sep 29, 2016)

I've seen these pop up fairly often and they are always identified as fakes. Looks like the watch is from the 50s as well. I wouldn't bet your house on it being genuine!


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## DJH584 (Apr 10, 2013)

Perhaps this information from mikrolisk.de will help or confuse the issue:

Delbana Delbana Watch Co. Kleinuhren, Chronographen; Grenchen, Schweiz; registriert am 16.1.1948

Delbana Emil Leichter Kleinuhren; New York, USA; registriert am 15.9.1941

If the watch is Swiss made, then the watch shown is a fake due to the registration date of the trademark being 1948. As for the Emil Leichter Watch Co Inc, would that company have been making watches for the German forces given that the USA did not enter WW2 until December 1941? I think further research would be needed in that aspect.

One other thing, if the case back can be removed then the movement can be compared with the pictures shown on www.ranfft.de and that may provide fruitful in respect of a manufacturing date.


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## vinn (Jun 14, 2015)

it looks like a fake to me. i have seen this in camera collectons. "rusian made fakes".


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## Karrusel (Aug 13, 2016)

I agree, looks like 50's model to me....pictures of movement would help me to be more specific.

'K' stamp on AFRIKA looks suspect to me?, again pictures of inside case back would help.

As an aside, recently at an Antiques Road show event and the watch 'expert' was waxing lyrically about the watch the guy in front of was presenting.

It was a Staybright Steel cased 20-30's swiss made, the 'expert' then said 'They don't use that material now, they use stainless steel.... for @£#=s sake!

Then it got better:

I presented him with 2 Harwood's, the bumper & the autorist.

Wait for it..... 'Oh, how do you wind it', never heard of Harwood, indifferent to the Blancpain involvement and later on in the discussion relating to co-axial movement's, I raised that the conception was by George Daniels, again 'Who'!

For the next 10 minutes I proceeded to indoctrinate the 'expert' in the Harwood fiefdom & George's co- axial.

He was gracious enough to apologise and thanked me in front of a line of people waiting patiently.

Pleased to say I did receive a ripple of applause.

However, military associated watches are highly desirable and as such are attracting a lot of fakes, clones, & frankenwatches.

Again, post us some more images and I am sure we can be more definitive, as we don't profess to be 'experts', only passionate enthusiasts?


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## Martin77 (Nov 16, 2016)

jbaus said:


> Hey all,
> 
> I picked up a wristwatch in Poland a few months back and was wondering if I could get some more info on it. I was told it is from the Afrika Corps. Although it seems likely to be a fantasy item someone on a military forum suggested I post it on here for some opinions.
> 
> ...


 That is certainly the Afrika Corps insignia, I'm no expert but I wouldn't bet against it being genuine.


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## Always"watching" (Sep 21, 2013)

My own feeling about this watch follows that expressed by Karrusel and Jasonm, and I wouldn't contradict these two authorities unless I felt strongly that they might be erring in this case. I also agree with Karusel that a few pics of the movement and a macro shot of the dial details would be nice.

The origins of Delbana go back to about 1919, but the firm itself came into being in 1933, so it could be possible that your watch is genuinely from the World War Two period. It should be said, however, that West Germany was not the main market for Delbana watches, and huge numbers went to Latin America and Eastern Europe, especially under the communist regimes when apparently the watches were sometimes used almost as currency.

Delbana watches were a middle-grade product and A. Schild movements were the usual base calibers for Delbana timepieces during the main periods of production.

I myself believe that your watch actually dates to just after World War Two, possibly even 1946 as hinted by the small "46" stamped on the caseback. To be on the safe side though, I would concur that it might have been produced in the early to mid 1950s. When first sold, the watch was probably an unadorned basic Delbana timepiece, celebrating on dial and caseback one or two technical features to perhaps enhance its lowly status. Then, at some time, the watch was provided with its Nazi connotations on the dial plus the addition of stampings on the caseback to make us believe that this was a 1942 Afrika Corps wristwatch.

I have a friend who deals in militaria and he also sells many fake Nazi items, some of which look pretty convincing. Unfortunately, the market for Nazi weaponry and other items is very strong and has been so for some time. I myself would not wish to own anything directly connected to Fascist Germany and the Hitler regime, and although that might partly be down to my age, my feeling of revulsion is not something I can ignore. Indeed, for me, a deliberate fake makes it seem almost worse - a genuine watch worn by a German pilot during the hostilities somehow seems more acceptable, especially when many fake items are celebrating the SS.

I would therefore be looking to replace that so-called Afrika Corps watch with something by Delbana that is free of fakery yet nicely vintage - it can be done as Delbana was a pretty busy concern.


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