Military watches are a great way to honor the men and women who have served in the military. This article will explain what makes a military watch different from other types of watches, and then it will go into some of the best options out there.
The company was established in Germany in 1848 by Louis Brandt, who developed it into one of the most important watch manufacturers. In 1880, he moved the company to Switzerland and established it in Bienne, where it continues to operate today.
The company then moved its headquarters to Geneva in 1904 but returned to Biel after World War I.
In a friendly tone:
During World War II ( and after it ) Omega delivered more than 120,000 pilots’, navigators’ and soldiers’ watches to Great Britain’s Ministry of Defence (MoD) to support its Air Force and Navy pilots during service.They were also supplied throughout its territories.
For example, if you look at the pictures of RAF pilot watches that came out in 1942, you will see that these models had black dials with large Arabic numerals at 12 o’clock and 3 o’clock positions , with white dots at 9 o’clock position . This design was very similar to some other pilot watches from other brands in those days such as IWC , Zenith or Longines . The reason why they looked so similar was because they all used military standards issued by the British Ministry of Defence during World War II which said what should be on every pilot’s wristwatch – this included everything from size , shape etcetera right down to legibility factors like contrast between hands versus dial etcetera .
Cyma was founded by a Greek watchmaker called Joseph Candeau who settled in Le Locle, Switzerland, in 1862. This company is still in business today and makes many different styles of watches for the general public.
However, it was during World War 2 that Cyma had its moment of glory when it made watch straps for the British military – which shows how important their contribution was to the war effort.
Before the start of World War 2, Jaeger LeCoultre began as a partnership between Antoine LeCoultre and Edmond Jaeger. Edmond had a background in measuring instruments while Antoine had a background in watchmaking. The two men came together to create the company that would become one of the most respected watchmakers in history.
There were many reasons why soldiers chose to wear their military watches during World War 2. One reason was for practicality: these watches were able to withstand harsh conditions like extreme temperatures and humidity or even water damage when needed (which was often). They also kept accurate time so you didn’t have to worry about losing track of how much daylight you had left before having to find shelter for the night or if it was safe enough yet for your team’s next move forward against enemy lines.
Lemania is a successor of five other watchmaking companies that were based at the same address on Rue de la Corraterie, Geneva. Lemania appeared when three of those companies merged (Léchot-Omega-Lemania). The others were Favre-Lemania and Lemania et Cie.
The first watch with the name Lemania was created by one Isaac Louis Cartier and his son Georges in 1791 as an offshoot of their family business. In 1904, another company called “Faure & Fils” took over this brand and held it until 1911 when it was acquired by Société des Montres A. Cahen Brothers SA. This company had been making watches since 1887. In 1918 Cahen changed its name to “Delbrück & Co.” which would later become “Delbrück Uhrenfabrik AG”. The first wristwatch made by Delbrück was launched in 1924 under the name ‘Sekonda’.
Omega watches were founded in Germany in 1848, but moved to Switzerland in 1880. They are best known for their involvement with an important watchmaking innovation: the “quartz” movement. The first quartz watch was released by Seiko in 1969, and uses a battery-powered oscillator to keep time instead of a mechanical movement like those found in traditional watches. In 1969 Omega became the first company to offer a quartz wristwatch that matched or exceeded the accuracy of their mechanical movements by using an ultra-accurate quartz oscillator (the SBQA001).
Grana was a German watch brand owned by a company called Gruen & Co. The brand was founded in 1869, but was sold to the Swiss watchmaker Girard-Perregaux in 1976.
The company is based in Grasbrunn, Germany
While most of the military watch brands on this list can trace their roots to the late 19th century, Cyma was founded by a Greek watchmaker called Joseph Candeau who settled in Le Locle, Switzerland, in 1862. The company produced watches for the German Luftwaffe during World War 2 and continued making them for other militaries after the conflict ended.
In 1956, Cyma introduced its first chronograph movement—the Valjoux 7734—and has been using it ever since. This is one of the most commonly used movements throughout horology history because it’s so versatile and reliable; it can be found in countless high-end watches with price tags into five figures or more today.
Eterna is a Swiss watch manufacturer founded in 1856. The company was started by Joseph Girard and Urs Schild, who named it after the Greek word ēterón, meaning “eternal.” At first, they called their venture the Girard & Schild firm. It wasn’t until they partnered with Jules Piquerez that they changed their name to Eterna — which means eternity in Latin.
Eterna has a long history of creating military timepieces for soldiers around the world over the past century or so. They created watches for both sides of World War I (1914–1918), including wristwatches for German officers and pocket watches for French troops fighting on horseback
Jaeger LeCoultre was established in 1833 by Antoine LeCoultre, a Swiss watchmaker. He was one of the first watchmakers to use machines instead of hand tools for making watches, which helped him make high-quality timepieces at a low price. The brand’s first pocket watch was made in 1844; its first wristwatch came in 1879; and its first chronograph (a type of watch that measures time) came out in 1904. Self-winding watches were invented by Jaeger LeCoultre in 1976, allowing the wearer to wind them without assistance from another person or device.
Jaeger LeCoultre has been making high-end luxury watches since its founding in 1833. Its current headquarters is located in Switzerland’s Vallée de Joux region; this area is known for being home to many other high-end watchmakers as well as being one of only three places where mechanical movements are still manufactured by hand today (the others being La Chaux-de Fonds and Biel).
Lemania was founded in 1882, which makes it one of the oldest watchmakers still in existence. The company was founded by Louis Brandt and Georges Briot in Geneva, Switzerland. Lemania’s headquarters are located there today as well.
In its early days, Lemania focused on producing pocket watches that were sold to both military personnel and civilians alike. These watches were made out of high-quality materials like gold and platinum—and some examples even featured diamond encrusted faces!
Longines is a Swiss luxury watch manufacturer founded in Saint-Imier, Switzerland, by Auguste Agassiz in 1832. In the 1930s, Longines began supplying wristwatches to the French military. During World War II, Longines produced chronographs for all branches of the French armed forces and pilots’ watches for the air force. The company also made special edition watches for various officers and dignitaries such as Winston Churchill and Charles de Gaulle.
Longines, founded in 1878, is one of the most venerable watchmakers in Switzerland. The brand was best known for its railroad watches and pocket watches but also produced military-inspired timepieces during World War II.
The company’s history began with Charles-Edouard Guillaume (C.E.), who invented an alloy that he used to create a new type of hairspring—one capable of compensating for changes in temperature and humidity. This development made it possible to manufacture thinner watches with higher precision and longer power reserves than ever before, so C.E.’s invention became the foundation upon which Longines would build its reputation as one of Europe’s leading horological brands.
After leaving his post at Audemars Piguet due to differences of opinion about how best to run a business, C.E., along with his son Ernest, founded their own company in La Chaux-de-Fonds: L’Horlogerie Suisse Frères Guillaume (or “Brothers Guillaume’s Swiss Watchworks”). The name was later changed simply The Swiss Watch Works (TSW) when they merged with another local manufacturer called Le Coultre et Fils S A., thus forming TSW&CO Ltd..
Timor watches were made in Switzerland and were used by the US military during World War 2. They were also used by the British military during World War 2, as well as by the German military.
Vertex was founded in 1917 by John Harwood, a watchmaker from Birmingham, England. The company was originally called John Harwood and Sons Ltd., but changed its name to Vertex when it began to make wristwatches. Vertex was one of the first companies to mass-produce wristwatches, which were originally used as military timepieces during World War I because they were more portable than pocket watches.
A list of WW2 watches is a great idea.
The list should be ordered by brand, from oldest to newest.
Each watch should have the year it was manufactured and the type of watch it is (military, pilot’s, etc.). Also include whether it has an automatic movement or manual winding.
The case material should also be included on this list, as well as whether or not the strap material is leather, rubber or metal mesh.
So there you have it, an overview of the top brands that supplied watches to the military during World War 2. It is interesting to see how they have evolved through time and how many are still producing high-quality products today. If you want a piece of history with some unique features then why not consider buying one for yourself?They are a great hedge against inflation and look great on the wrist.
WoWadmin April 21st, 2023
Posted In: Sell My Watch
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