1960 Military Watches

[Blackhawk]

I saw on one of the TZ forums that a guy had decided to buy a watch that was made in the year he was born. It got me thinking that this was a nice idea and maybe some direction for where my next watch may be coming from. My main interest though is in British & US military watches. I really like the idea of getting a British military watch that would have been issued in 1960. So, can anyone help me identify which watches were issued to the Army, RN & RAF in 1960?

Thanks

Paul

[davide]

Interesting thought - would they have been dated then?

[Foggy]

Interesting thought - would they have been dated then?

Off the top of my head, i can't recall a British issue watch with a stamped issue year of 1960 on it. Would still very much have been using WWW's and the like during this period.

The closest I can think of, with a head full of cold, is an Omega 56.

Cheers

Foggy

[Terry]

The earliest 1960's marking I've seen is /62 on a Lemania Chronograph issued to the RAF.

6BB/924-3306
/|\
xxxx/62

Good hunting,

Terry

[Crusader]

Mark 11s would be used in 1960, I imagine, though I don't think any were procured in that particular year.

[Blackhawk]

Thanks for your help, this is proving to be a little bit more challenging than I imagined. I'm lucky enough to already have an Omega 56 Foggy. It's along the right lines because the '56 has such an interesting history to it. I know it is supposed to be a bit of a franken watch but there is something very special about it.





Along similar lines, there is the Smiths which has to be a contender



I quite like the idea from Terry of a Lemania Chronograph - does anyone have a picture of one?

Mark 11's are an interesting thought, although like you Martin I have never seen one dated 1960.

What about divers watches? I guess there must have been Rolex and Tudor Subs which are a little outside of my budget, but what others were around. Were Omega or Precista making military dive watches then?

Thanks

Paul

[davide]

Paul, here are some naval Lemania chronographs, but the markings show no dates although they would straddle 1960 in dates.

Also a shot of some of my collection's caseback markings - not too many dates I'm afraid.

[Terry]

Blackhawk,

Apparently there was a Smiths issued to the Australian RAAF in 1961, it is quite a rare watch as far as I can make out. Markings are;

6645-66
010-6032
/|\
No. xxx/61

The more common Smiths W10's did not appear until 1967 and were issued until 1970.

Good Hunting,

Terry Andrews