Is this a military watch?

[Andy H]

Morning Gents!

I´ve had this watch for a while now and was wondering, is it a, so called, trench watch?

The diameter is about 29mm without crown.

Thanks in advance for any info.

[Sinnlover]

It is an early wrist watch sometimes called a trench watch in collecting circles. Gents wrist watches were first marketed as an essential part of an officers equipment during the First World War.
Previous to WW1 most people wore pocket watches if they could afford a watch.
These were not "issued" like the latter ATP/WWWs but were a private purchase from jewellers.
The only way to tell if it may have been used in the trenches is via family testimony.

[alfat33]

The silver hallmarks might help a bit. The picture isn't that clear to me but could that be a gothic style 'b'? If so that could be the mark for 1917/London, which at least makes the watch contemporary with WWI (just about). I'm no expert though and I don't recognise the other mark.

[sweets]

Also, from here, it looks like a London 1917/18 case, meaning it was imported to the UK during WW1.
But of course it is not military in the strictest sense, because it was not procured by the military and issued to someone for use in their military duties.
However, it may have been bought by someone for their own use in their military career.
Dave

[khumzi]

Also, from here, it looks like a London 1917/18 case, meaning it was imported to the UK during WW1.
But of course it is not military in the strictest sense, because it was not procured by the military and issued to someone for use in their military duties.
However, it may have been bought by someone for their own use in their military career.
Dave

Really interesting, Dave. I wondered why the case had a non-Lion mark for the silver. The movement says Made in Switzerland, so I wonder if the case and movement were made for export only to GB? Do all Swiss movements of that era use English? Now I think about it I can't recall seeing other languages being used...

To the original poster, if I'm not mistaken, at the point when the military did start to issue watches, they stamped them with the broad arrow symbol - https://en.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Broad_arrow

[Andy H]

Thanks very much Gents, much obliged.

The maker is George Stockwell, London.

[bobbee]

Thanks very much Gents, much obliged.

The maker is George Stockwell, London.

Stockwell actually imported the movement, as indicated by the "U" London import mark.

The movement looks to be a Mayer & Studeli (Roamer) cal. 59.

http://mirius.co.uk/Calibre.htm?59,MST

I have the same movement in a 1921/22 watch.











Thanks to David Butcher (AKA Mirius) for the info on MST, excellent site.

[Wibbs]

These were not "issued" like the latter ATP/WWWs but were a private purchase from jewellers.

Not always. Some were issued by the British(first in '16 IIRC) and have a broad arrow stamp on the back. They had a standard of screw back and front, white dial. They're quite rare to show up today. That might be survivor bias though.

As for Andy's it certainly looks to be aimed at the military market of the time, with the radium numerals and cathedral hands. They're usually more around the 35mm mark though. Below 30mm I tend to think "women's watch", but could certainly have been bought by a man.

[2012]

Also, from here, it looks like a London 1917/18 case, meaning it was imported to the UK during WW1.
But of course it is not military in the strictest sense, because it was not procured by the military and issued to someone for use in their military duties.
However, it may have been bought by someone for their own use in their military career.
Dave

Indeed. And as I understand it, reading around the subject some time ago, watches procured specifically by the government for that time, were black-faced with luminous markings.

This did not stop individual soldiers buying, or having bought for them, white faced versions privately, with the same luminous markings.