# Granddad's Ww2 Watch



## levon2807 (Mar 17, 2010)

A long time ago I asked my Nan for my Granddad's military watch and she came through with this (sorry for the poor quality photos!)...



















Apart from the fact it came on a red/black NATO the watch didn't look very military at all and when I put it on the forum you all agreed.

However, browsing eBay tonight I found this ad: http://www.ebay.co.u...=item35e1b76aa2

I might be crazy but that looks like the exact same watch just in FAR better condition!

I've never seen this type of ATP before so can anyone shed some light on it now we have markings and serial numbers?

Currently mine doesn't run so I think I'll send it to Ryte Time and get it ticking once more. As to the rest of it, I think I'll leave the wear...there was some talk about it having been in a flood(!) so I guess that's part of the family history!


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## Will Fly (Apr 10, 2012)

Your grandfather's watch may well be from the same period as the one on eBay - but in different condition, as you say. And he may well have worn it, as a private purchase, during his military service. That's not quite the same as it being officially stamped and issued by the War Department - and not quite the same as being purchased for military use but not issued, and then sold off (usually by Bravingtons) after the war.

Your watch doesn't have the usual government pheon (broad arrow) and serial numbers - unlike the one on eBay. Have you looked inside the watch to check the movement? The government bought in watch movements by many different Swiss makers - Unitas, Lemania, Leonidas and "Unknown" - to feed the demand for timepieces in 1939. Some have plain dials and others have the maker's name on the dial.

So it's a bit of a minefield - which is not to say that your grandfather's watch wasn't used for military purposes - just that provenance is worth watching out for! I'm sure your watch would look good with a clean-up and service. Here's a link to my own (Unitas cal. 173) from 1939, for comparison:

http://www.willswatc...unitas-173.html


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## omegaman100 (Aug 20, 2015)

very nice


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