GSTP stood for General Service Trade Pattern, and watches like this Helvetia were issued to important support staff during WW2.  Model reference 6010

HOW DO WE DATE THIS WATCH?

From the serial number on the case back we can date this watch to being made or issues circa 1941.

CONDITION

GSTP watches went to lots of people during the beginning of WW2.  The way the military snapped up many different brands and with records missing this has lead to fakes being made of normal watches with the GSTP mark fraudulently stamped on the back, but happily the same model as this watch appears in the excellent reference book British Military Timepieces.  That shows that the watch would have originally had cathedral hands full of lume, which have been swapped for non lume hands possibly in 1976 – incredibly we sourced this watch from the company that repaired it in 1976, and the customer never returned to pay for his repair.  So it has sat for 45 years, unused since the service.  The service tag is still attached and is part of the watches life story.  The dial has some hairline cracks at 11, and most of the radium lume is missing on the dial.  The body of the watch is in poor condition, but the steel caseback is good.  The Helvetia 32A movement is running nicely.

This watch will be supplied with 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  65.3 mm excluding the bow

Width without crown  52.0 mm

Case Thickness  15.8 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.

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