First World War Trench Watch

ChrisJ84

Hi everyone, my Dad has asked us to get him a WW1 era trench watch for Christmas (why couldn't he be satisfied with socks?!)

Have you got any advice on where to find such a thing, and what to look out for?

Thanks in advance!

beauf

No idea, never heard of them but they look fantastic.

https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/the-ironic-elegance-of-trench-watches

Fitz II

Wibbs right now

Deep Thought

Fitz II wrote: »

Wibbs right now

Yup.. you can bank on it

Wibbs

...

There are some dealers that have them but they're expensive and IMHO overpriced. Then we come down to your budget. You will get one for under 500, but 1000 will get you more options and more likely all original watches. Many, if not most on ebay for example have the wrong hands and/or crowns. A lot of them are women's watches too.

This American chap sells very nice examples indeed and he services them properly, but he's in the US so you'll be hit with duty importing one and with the current covid crisis delivery times will be long in general.

On ebay a quick perusal fires this one up. Very nice watch, early "hermetic" case to keep out dust and water, so the innards will tend to be in better condition, double sunk enamel dial, serviced apparently and all looks correct. At around 500 quid you can't go to wrong. That would be the one I'd go for myself.

Thirdfox

There's also the modern interpretation of trench watches - it isn't from that era, but would come with a warranty and would be in new condition (though of course many people would enjoy the history associated with a piece actually from that era):

https://vario.sg/pages/ww1-trench-watch

Only $250 (big but - it won't be ready by Christmas) - Vario are a microbrand who are very dependable to deliver (I can't say that about every KS project :P ) - get it on a nice bund which is offered too - you could always get him a card saying you got him the watch and it'll be delivered Feb/March next year.

Wibb's our resident expert on actual vintage pieces though and his suggest of that €500 watch looks great.

Wibbs

Thirdfox wrote: »

Wibb's our resident expert on actual vintage pieces though and his suggest of that €500 watch looks great.

If I had some throwaway beer tokens this month I'd be very tempted to buy it myself tbh. Those hinged hermetic cases rarely come up(and when they do the hinge is usually broken) as they were an expensive item at the time so few enough were sold. Those cases were Rolex's and their various subsidiaries' first attempt at buying in water resistance.

*aside* in retailers at the time it wasn't uncommon for a customer to pick and choose movement, case, dial. Note the blank dial, no makers name. In the UK and her empire it was nearly always left blank for the retailers name. People bought the retailer rather than the brand, or a "type" or style of watch. So sometimes you'll see "Land & Water" on a dial denoting its robustness, but it could have a Longines, or Zenith movement under it all. Case makers generally followed the brand so with Longines it'll have a Baume case, from Arthur Baume who was their importer. A very different buying culture. In Europe and the US makers names were far more common, though often had the retailers name as well. EG Tiffany, which kept that practice going well into the 50's and 60's.


As an example of a nice enough watch with extra dealer BS on top to watch out for, and avoid...

Nice Longines, but has the wrong hands. The originals would be more segmented. Then he makes a sideways BS claim as far as the original owner goes and gets Arthur Baume's name wrong. And then he gets to the movement....

The calibre 13.34 is one of the most difficult early Longines movements for the collector to find, it being also one of the company’s first calibres designed specifically for the wristwatch in 1910 and almost all examples now reside in private collections from whence they are unlikely to reappear in the foreseeable future.

Here we have 24 carat dealer Bollocks of the finest grade. :rolleyes: Then again IMHO 90% of watch dealers of any stripe are full of poo. That movement is the Longines movement of the time. It would be harder to find an example without one. There's a fair few on ebay at any one time. Then he claims it's pin set when it's clearly not and after his watchmaker serviced it I have timed it over 24 hours and keeps good time to within a few mins a day. A few minutes a day? Eh wut... That movement looks to be in good nick and the regulator is smack in the middle, it should be easily accurate to under a minute per day, if not better. If it's not something is up.

And he wants 1500 quid for it. :pac::pac::pac:

But yeah, best to avoid dealers like the plague and there's a few on ebay and obviously on Chrono24, chancers and gougers of the unwary most of them. Again in my humble.

Cyclingtourist

The first world war also saw the popularisation of small folding cameras that already existed but were popular among troops (officers).
Maybe your father would also like an early example of a Vest Pocket Kodak (VPK) which you could probably pick up on eBay for about €50.

Here's a link to website about them. http://vpk.staff.shef.ac.uk/#:~:text=Collecting%20Vest%20Pocket%20Kodak%20Cameras%20Made%20between%201912,How%20many%20generations%20have%20passed%20before%20their%20lenses%3F

I bought mine in Petticoat Lane in London for about £35. It's a particularly nice example with leatherette covering the body unlike most where they are just painted black.

ChrisJ84

Thirdfox wrote: »

There's also the modern interpretation of trench watches - it isn't from that era, but would come with a warranty and would be in new condition (though of course many people would enjoy the history associated with a piece actually from that era):

https://vario.sg/pages/ww1-trench-watch

Only $250 (big but - it won't be ready by Christmas) - Vario are a microbrand who are very dependable to deliver (I can't say that about every KS project :P ) - get it on a nice bund which is offered too - you could always get him a card saying you got him the watch and it'll be delivered Feb/March next year.

Wibb's our resident expert on actual vintage pieces though and his suggest of that €500 watch looks great.

I think Dad will prefer the genuine article, but might treat myself to one of these

blue5000

ChrisJ84 wrote: »

I think Dad will prefer the genuine article, but might treat myself to one of these

Whatever you get, make sure Wibbs checks it out first, just my 2 cents. Unless he is your Dad:D.

ChrisJ84

Wibbs wrote: »

...

On ebay a quick perusal fires this one up. Very nice watch, early "hermetic" case to keep out dust and water, so the innards will tend to be in better condition, double sunk enamel dial, serviced apparently and all looks correct. At around 500 quid you can't go to wrong. That would be the one I'd go for myself.

I pulled the trigger on this one, it's a lovely watch in fairness!

ChrisJ84

Wibbs wrote: »

But yeah, best to avoid dealers like the plague and there's a few on ebay and obviously on Chrono24, chancers and gougers of the unwary most of them. Again in my humble.

ebay in particular seems to chock full of garbage. Sticking with militaria, "trench art" is something I'm more familiar with than watches, and it's very difficult to tell what's legit and what's mass produced rubbish. Lots of the latter, unfortunately.

mad m

@wibbs,

Any thoughts on this.

https://www.ebay.ie/itm/WW1-1915-military-silver-trench-watch-ex-condition-serviced-original-era-band/373324421523?hash=item56ebde9993:g:YzcAAOSwk-pfpsP2

Same seller

Wibbs

Good seller that. I've perused his stuff before. I think I bought stuff from him.

That's a nice piece. Unusual that it's not got radium lume, but that's not against it really, though soldiers were told to buy watches with radium. It looks in great nick and is a fair price too.

ChrisJ84

Quick update on this, I got my Dad a 1917 trench watch - though he may mount it and keep it on the desk as it's a bit delicate after 105 years!

Couldn't resist getting myself one of these - they've really captured the Trench Watch style. I found Vario great to deal with and will buy from them again:

Thirdfox

ChrisJ84 wrote: »

Quick update on this, I got my Dad a 1917 trench watch - though he may mount it and keep it on the desk as it's a bit delicate after 105 years!

Couldn't resist getting myself one of these - they've really captured the Trench Watch style. I found Vario great to deal with and will buy from them again:

Ivan is lovely to deal with - I think they started in straps first but has since expanded into watches too. Really lovely guy.