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Cheers John.
I'll save that for home, but I do like that "wide" big bezel on the watch, makes it look really tool like.
The movement is a gem as well.
The Smiths Mk XI Navigator*
I wonder if a homage of this might be worth pursuing?
What a terrific looking three-quarter plate pillar movement, with a chronometer style cock!!! Read about it in "The National" .pdf linked below.
Anyone with an original Smiths Deluxe GS should be able to work out the case and lug sizes from the minute track diameter... which I would love to know. Of note that the hands of this example are skeletonised.
* * *
Auction links (the watch sold for £12K.):
A Smiths De Luxe steel circular cased MoD issue gentleman's wristwatch (24 Jan 2019)
https://www.the-saleroom.com/en-gb/a...2-a9d2011656fd
A Smiths De Luxe steel circular cased MoD issue (24th January 2019)
https://www.tooveys.com/lots/382193/...ans-wristwatch
The pdf files (I have uploaded these to my cloud account):
The National 15 - The decline of British watchmaking and the role of Smiths .pdf [pages 12-14]
https://mega.nz/#!o2ZQkQzZ!xUMV_dBQh...da7bralAjc-sqA
Zulu Time - The British Military General Service Wristwatch .pdf [page 9]
https://mega.nz/#!ciQknCoR!QL0MXAbvG...Ta1CU9rFLSEkU0
* * *
MWR links:
Smiths Mk XI Navigator just sold at auction
https://www.mwrforum.net/forums/show...old-at-auction
PICTURE SMITH MK 11 PROTOTYPE
https://www.mwrforum.net/forums/show...K-11-PROTOTYPE
Smiths Watches: A Beginner's Guide
https://www.mwrforum.net/forums/show...ginner-s-Guide
* * *
I have added this below which points to an owner... just in case a scan of an original might be needed.
(entry number #36)...
"...David Reed .David is a lovely gentleman with a passion for smiths watches he owns a smiths navigator watch..."
Another bloody Smiths Mk X (page2)
https://www.mwrforum.net/forums/show...ths-Mk-X/page2
* [I did a forum search but couldn't find anything relating to this.]
John
Last edited by abraxas; 25th February 2019 at 16:51.
Cheers John.
I'll save that for home, but I do like that "wide" big bezel on the watch, makes it look really tool like.
The movement is a gem as well.
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
I'm not really getting the seemingly unnecessarily hefty case - is that just a result of the double shell case? And any idea what that really means e.g. an air gap between the two cases or is the central case buffered from shocks to the outer using some spring mechanism or the like?
Can I ask what makes it so special to be a ‘Navigation’ watch?
As for it’s looks- yes it does look hefty - but it does have a certain charm.
But I guess a homage would have to be COSC certified?
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The movement is larger (13 ligne) than the cal. 60466E (12 ligne) of the Deluxe GS. You can see that the actual dial (which is the same size as the movement) is wider than the minute track of the dial which is the same size as the GS printing.Originally Posted by hughtrimble
Last edited by abraxas; 26th February 2019 at 09:12.
See "The National" pdf paper [pages 12-14]. It explains it comprehensively.
OK you convinced me - it’s of historic interest and only 3 were made - those 3 being forgotten about for a number of years.
If that doesn’t deserve a homage I don’t know what does
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Like that a lot.
I liked it enough to fairly seriously bid on the Tooveys one, but alas there were plenty more serious bidders after it. Fantastic watch with a particularly interesting history and movement.
I really like that.
It looks an absolute beast !
I like the hefty over engineered appearance combined with a very simple dial layout
Doubt that I would buy a similarly styled homage but all the same it would be good if one were made I think.
I like it and think that a reissue would be a good idea.
This might be interesting as it has a bit about the Smiths.
Edit: See that it’s already linked through URL in earlier post
(Source: MWR and hq_sandman_ute (Ken))
It’s a bit of of brute! A homage to the Deluxe military (GS/Australia) in the article would appeal more to me.
.
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Last edited by BillyCasper; 28th February 2019 at 19:48.
I can't find the dimensions for this but I'm sure I've read it was around 42mm, which would have been huge for the time.
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
Maybe 40mm?
Ref description in this.
https://www.tooveys.com/lots/382193/...ans-wristwatch
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Oh, well spotted. I did some calculating and if the case is 40mm then the lug width is 17mm which is the same as for the W10.
I wasn’t entirely confident that is was 40mm.
The stated size was 4cm rather than 40mm. 4cm could be read as a bit of an approximation, rounding off.
Your scaling makes sense.
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As a rarity it's the business, as a profitable re-issue, i can't see the sense. I can't see it selling, certainly not in the proportions of the prs 5, 10, 25, 29 etc etc.
I agree and it’s Fugly....
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That article is from the AHS' journal, and I'm not entirely sure it should be shared like this. That version seems to be specifically marked as such.
Far better to join the AHS and read it on their 'site (along with digitised copies of most of the Journals and many years of the BHI Horological Journal).
This is the original link:
https://ahsoc.contentfiles.net/media...-_Read_wm6.pdf
I got it from here (entry 14):
The decline of British watchmaking and the role of Smiths
https://www.mwrforum.net/forums/show...role-of-Smiths
And it is also here:
Sample articles from Antiquarian Horology (From Volume 38 Issue 1, March 2017)
https://www.ahsoc.org/publications/t...mple-articles/
It appears to be freely available. It cannot be read online. It has to be downloaded before it can be read.
Last edited by abraxas; 1st March 2019 at 00:08.
Just been revisited some old posts that I had bookmarked through the year but never seemingly had the time to look at. Until now.
Just gratuitously bumping this in case anyone missed it the first time. A homage to this would definitely have my attention.
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I know it's an historically important piece but the small dial in relation to the size of the case makes it look wrong to me.
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
It's a good job we don't all like the same thing but realise it wouldn't be everyone's cup of tea.
Sent through the ether by diddling with radio waves
Is there anything similar (ie with such an expanse of bare metal bezel) in the Smith's range (or by anyone else for that matter)?
Sent through the ether by diddling with radio waves
I believe there were seven of these made; three now known to exist.
David Reed has one and the one at the auction was bought by James Nye.
I have all three of the the other RAF issued Smiths (the "Mk X" from WW2, the GS De Luxe from the mid-1950s and the 6B version of the W10 from 1967). Each of the three contains a prototype of a movement that would eventually make it into mass/series production for commercial / civilian retail (the 1215, the 27CS and the cal. 60466E respectively). The Mk XI Navigator as per this thread contained the pre-production version of the Smiths cal. 0104 used in 19 jewel Imperial and Everest watches and as the base for the 25j automatic.
The reason behind this is that Smiths were heavily subsidised by the UK government because it was felt that it was a matter of national security to have on-shore ebauche manufacturing, not only for wristwatches but also for fuses, timers, camera clocks etc. So at roughly ten year intervals (Mk X c. 1942-44; GS De Luxe c. 1954-56; W10 c. 1967-70) Smiths made -- or attempted to make -- highly accurate wristwatches that could be used for aircrew. Only the W10 was a success and over 20,000 were made -- right at the end of Smiths' life as am in-house manufacture of wristwatches, and possibly prolonging their life by a few years.
HTH
No, I think they are completely different.
And the movement isn't gilded and the dial isn't lumed. This is clearly a watch not in its final state!
The GS De Luxe has a 27CS movement not a cal. 60466E but both are indeed 12''''
It would be interesting to see this watch photographed next to a known watch, like a Smiths W10... so we can see what we are dealing with. This day and age "wrong" can be good because wrong is just another way of saying different.
Had a good hours search last night on t'internet (aided by a fine 16 year old Lagavulin) but couldn't find anything remotely like this. Can anyone come up with a suggestion? Probably looking at vintage I guess.
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Just bumping this. Is there anything similar to this which is currently available? I do like the expanse of bare metal bezel sans markings.
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Th Mkii Crucible has a wide bezel and military inspired case and dial....any good?
https://www.mkiiwatches.com/cruxible
The Cruxible is a nice watch but the Hawkinge is more in keeping with a MK11
I have both and they are very well made watches for the money.
If such a thing as a hawking dial in a Cruxible case could be made it might pass as a crude smiths mk11 look alike.
Last edited by Sinnlover; 28th September 2021 at 18:06.
I love MKII Watches and have had a few Including the Hawkinge. Great watches as you say but for me the Hakinge was a little tall on the wrist. I heard angel noises when I learned that Eddie was making a 36mm Mark 11 homage. To me the PRS 48 Navigator is amazing brilliant size and quality. To me the Hawkinge and Cruxible are fab but just too big for my wrist.
I will buy 3
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Check out the Unimatic Quattro for the bezel
https://www.unimaticwatches.com/uc4/r
Yes, I like that. Thanks
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Thats a cool watch. Monolithic! yet a relatively modest 13.9mm in height.
Had a check, this piece isn't out until January 15th next year. Can anyone recommend a UK based Unimatic stockist. Their website seems to suggest MrPorter but they don't have anything on their site for this make.
I'd rather buy it from the UK without having to go through all the import hassle.
For anyone else interested, it is the UC4
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Giovanni Moro is involved with Unimatic, that name should ring a bell. The only thing that puts me off the Quattro is that it's quite expensive for a Seiko NH35.
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
Found a UK stockist who had two in stock (seems they were released earlier than Jan next year).
This is their website:
https://www.williamcrabtree.co.uk/
Granted, they are not your usual AD it has to be said, but after sending an email to jp@williamcrabtree.co.uk, I got a quick reply back from Jamie. He sent me pictures of the watch, I liked it even more so I bought it. Expected delivery early next week.
Sent through the ether by diddling with radio waves
This.
I like quite a few of their models, and with a miyota 9015 inside I would probably have owned one.
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
Can we change the crown to the one on the everest or dreadnought?
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This isn't planned as far as I know.
M
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Breitling Cosmonaute 809 - What's not to like?
Re: the wide bezel. The picture above is from Knirim. You can see that Smiths was playing around with wide bezels at the time. I don't have any other details about this watch and I would love to know more. It looks a beast.
https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3230...bd0b94f8_o.jpg
The issue I have with this one is that there's too much case and not enough dial.
Re: the wide bezel. The picture above is from Knirim. You can see that Smiths was playing around with wide bezels at the time. I don't have any other details about this watch and I would love to know more. It looks a beast.
https://farm4.static.flickr.com/3230...bd0b94f8_o.jpg
Eddie
Whole chunks of my life come under the heading "it seemed like a good idea at the time".
I agree. The beauty of the Mark series of IWCs, as well as the 3706 chrono and Eddie's Smiths Navigator, is the size of the dial, relative to the case, and the relative thinness of the bezel. I would not be a buyer; I'd much rather stick to the original style.
I agree, but at the same time I see a gap for a more robust looking Smiths navigator, with a thicker bezel, perhaps more looking like the Cyma WWW than this, which does look a little odd.
And a scratch magnet looking at that bezel…
Got a new watch, divers watch it is, had to drown the bastard to get it!
The one below to the left is a much better candidate for a recreation/imagining of a watch made from unobtainium.....just sayin'.
I think the issue would be the marketability of this one. It's one thing remaking vintage watches but they also need to sell in enough volume to make it worth while. That is very 'specialist' and I reckon a big risk.
The flat bezel reminds me of a Longines COSD, except twice as thick: https://www.hodinkee.com/articles/th...-military-cosd
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