Issued in 1940 to the Air Ministry, who knows what part this Vulcain pocket watch may have played in the Battle of Britain? Military reference 6E/50.
HOW DO WE DATE THIS WATCH?
From the issue number and date on the case back we can accurately date this watch to being issued in 1940.
CONDITION
Vulcain have been making watches since 1858, and the 1940’s was a strong period for them. Being based in neutral Switzerland, they were able to develop the first popular alarm wristwatch, the Cricket, which was also worn by President Harry S. Truman. (Eterna did make an alarm watch in 1914, but it was not a good design). They were a high quality manufacturer, which is essential with military watches. Lives depend on the watch working well.
Being a pocket watch this was highly likely to have been used by ground crew rather than airmen. The watch is far from perfect – there is a dent in the case back, the crystal has discoloured, the dial has crazing, but it is running well. It can be a little notchy to wind, but will take a full wind and run for 24+ hours. The inside dust cover is nicely stamped with some of the prizes Vulcain watches had won for timekeeping. This pocket watch has clearly lived a life, and that makes it all the more attractive for it. Air Ministry watches from 1940 should not be mint.
This watch will be supplied with a basic presentation box and our Certificate of Authenticity.
Please see the HD video for more detail. All photos and videos are part of the description and are of the actual watch unless mentioned. We do not photoshop any pictures, and the images are copyright of birthyearwatches.com and should not be used without permission.
SIZE
Width with crown 59.7 mm (excluding the bow)
Width without crown 48.8 mm
Case Thickness 12.9 mm
All sizes are approximate.
Included with this watch is a 1 month guarantee and free delivery to UK addresses. If you live outside the UK we can still deliver to most countries. Please see our Worldwide Shipping information, or Contact Us. Payment can be made by most credit or debit cards, bank transfer or PayPal.
From 1st September 2021 we will be planting a tree for every watch we sell, working with the International Tree Foundation (Est 1922) to make this business positive on carbon. By buying anything pre owned you are effectively reusing what already exists, but this takes it further and makes us feel good.
