Marine chronometer · Submarine chronometer

A. Lange & Söhne German Two-Day Submarine Chronometer

Partially verified

This A. Lange & Söhne two-day submarine chronometer, serial number 5395, dates to 1944. It is constructed with a gilt full-plate brass three-pillar movement featuring a single-chain fusee. Due to wartime raw material shortages, the movement is housed in a bakelite case, which is embossed on the rear with an eagle and swastika and marked with the naval number 3101. The white dial displays Arabic numerals, gold hands, a blued seconds hand, and a 56-hour winding indicator. The chronometer is gimbal-mounted within a glazed wooden deck box, which is further contained within a cushioned guard case. The object is accompanied by a key. According to the auction description, this unit was deployed on the submarine U-1202 between 1944 and 1945 before being acquired by a British naval officer and eventually returned to Germany by a collector in 1981.

A. Lange & Söhne submarine chronometer housed in its gimballed deck box and cushioned transport case. — Invaluable/Auction House. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source: www.invaluable.com
Category: Marine chronometer · Submarine chronometer
Maker / attribution: A. Lange & Söhne
Reference: Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier: Source URL identifies the listing
Source-reported date: 1944
Source-reported place: Germany
Source-reported serial: 5395

Source-reported attribution and specifications are not independent authentication. A listing does not establish present ownership, current display, availability or permission to reproduce.

Object description

Movement and Dial Construction

The chronometer utilizes a gilt full-plate brass movement supported by three pillars. The movement is signed with the maker's name and the serial number 5395, mirroring the signature found on the white dial.

The dial features Arabic numerals for the primary chapters, gold hands, and a blued seconds hand providing half-second indications. A 56-hour power reserve indicator is positioned on the dial to communicate the remaining duration of the chronometer’s two-day operational capacity.

Evidence for this section

“gilt full-plate brass single-chain fusee three-pillar movement”
“white dial, outer minute ring, Arabic chapters, ½ subsidiary seconds, 56-hour winding indicator”

Case and Mounting

The movement is housed in a bakelite case, a material substitution attributed by the source to the shortage of traditional metals toward the end of the German Reich. The rear of this bakelite housing is embossed with a state eagle and swastika, and carries the naval identification number 3101.

To maintain stability in a marine environment, the chronometer is gimbal-mounted within a glazed wooden box. This unit is intended to be stored within a secondary, cushioned guard case, as shown in the provided documentation.

Evidence for this section

“in bakelite case due to a shortage of raw materials”
“embossed with eagle and Swastika on the rear side”
“gimbal-mounted in glazed wooden deck box within cushioned guard case”

Provenance and History

The auction description reports that this device was used on the submarine U-1202 during the 1944–1945 period. It was taken by a British naval officer following the surrender of the vessel.

In 1981, the chronometer was acquired by a German collector, who returned the object to Germany. The unit is currently listed as being in good working condition and includes its original key.

Evidence for this section

“This device was used between 1944 and 1945 in the submarine U-1202 and taken over by a British naval officer after the surrender.”
“In 1981, a German collector was able to purchase the chronometer and return it to Germany.”

Open research questions

What is the specific archival record for serial number 5395 in the Lange production logs?
Is the bakelite case a standard factory substitution for this model or a specific late-war modification?

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for A. Lange & Söhne German Two-Day Submarine Chronometer
Field	Source-reported value	Source quotation
Naval Number	3101	“naval no. 3101”
Case Material	Bakelite	“in bakelite case due to a shortage of raw materials”
Movement Type	Gilt full-plate brass three-pillar single-chain fusee	“gilt full-plate brass single-chain fusee three-pillar movement”

Visible details

Bakelite case with embossed military insignia
Gimbal-mounted movement housing
Glazed wooden deck box
Cushioned outer transport case

Research qualifications

Military markings require contextual verification regarding official manufacture vs field modification
Provenance claim rests solely on the auction description

Photograph identity and source facts were screened before import; rights clearance remains pending.

Consulted source

German Two-Day Submarine Chronometer by Lange & Söhne, 1944

Reviewed 2026-10-26 · Record e5d9e204a8

Terms in this record

Glossary explanations for terms named in this object’s record.