# Pocket watch ID?



## MartinC (Feb 12, 2017)

Hi all,

Found this forum after a google search and am after some help.

Bought a british crows foot marked pocket watch today that has been sold after issue (s stamp) but there are no makers names stamped anywhere on it.

Bezel and crystal are plastic, it winds ok and runs well unless you turn it upside down.

15 jewel, swiss made. Not seen a dial that looks like this either apart from an elgin one that was similar. Pics below, serial number on the back is 005862, on the inside of the back case the number is 3400678. I'm a total novice in these so any help would be greatly appreciated.

https://postimg.org/gallery/s2rt3jg8/


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## MartinC (Feb 12, 2017)




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## gimli (Mar 24, 2016)

Google GSTP pocket watch or something like that and you'll find a forum posting (different forum I believe) or a blog post with all the brands that made such watches for the british military. I believe there were 6-7 of them but I can't remember what they were. I know one of them was Cyma.


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

I think dear gimli is your best bet on this one, Martin. I do like researching the identity of watches, but this one is a bit of a mystery.

I can tell you that the GS/TP mark on the back of your watch is an abbreviation for one of three alternatives, "General Service Time Piece," "General Service Trade Pattern," Or General Service Temporary Pattern." The mark relates to a shortage of timepieces for the military during World War Two when it was decided to purchase watches from general stock patterns rather than attempt to fulfill the demand with a special order. Looking at the dial of your watch, I would date it to the beginning of the War, on the grounds of the dial type and hands, and as gimli said, Cyma was one of the companies involved in this project. Other companies include Damas, Rolex and Helvetia.

Excellent pictures of a Helvetia General Service pattern watch from World War Two (Pics from riverratone on i370.photobucket.com):


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