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The Encyclopedia of Horology

Wristwatch · Mono-button chronograph

Pierce Mono-Button Chronograph

Partially verified

This Pierce chronograph is a mono-button timepiece from the 1940s, featuring a 34 mm stainless steel case. The watch is powered by a 17-jewel in-house movement. The black dial contains luminous Arabic numerals, luminous hands, and a white chronograph sweep hand. The dial design incorporates a telemeter scale for measuring sound distance and a tachymeter scale for speed calculation. According to the source, the brand marketed the piece as a "4 in 1" watch. The watch is currently fitted with a black Nato strap. Historical associations provided by the source suggest usage by the British Army's medical division and as an official watch for Trans-Caribbean Airlines flight crews. It is described as a navigator pilot's chronograph model.

Front view of the Pierce mono-button chronograph showing the black dial, luminous numerals, and telemeter/tachymeter scales.
Front view of the Pierce mono-button chronograph showing the black dial, luminous numerals, and telemeter/tachymeter scales. — Ashton-Blakey Vintage Watches. Rights pending — permission not yet requested. Original source

Catalogue identity

Source
ashton-blakey-antiques.com
Category
Wristwatch · Mono-button chronograph
Maker / attribution
Pierce
Reference
Not recorded
Catalogue / lot identifier
Source URL identifies the listing
Source-reported date
circa 1940s
Source-reported place
Not established

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

Case and Dial Design

The watch is housed in a 34 mm diameter case featuring a stainless steel back and bezel. The design is characterized by a single push-button operation situated on the case side, which controls the integrated chronograph functions. The dial is black with mild signs of age, displaying luminous Arabic numerals and matching luminous hands.

A white chronograph sweep hand operates in conjunction with the dial-printed telemetric and tachymetric scales. These scales allow for the calculation of sound distances and speed, respectively, contributing to the watch's functionality as a multi-purpose instrument.

Evidence for this section
  • “Stainless steel back and bezel mono button Chronograph”
  • “34mm diameter excluding pushers”
  • “very mildly aged black dial and luminous Arabic numbers. Luminous hands and a white chrono sweep.”

Movement and Functionality

The timepiece is driven by a 17-jewel in-house movement manufactured by Pierce. The watch is marketed by the vendor as a 4-in-1 device, integrating standard timekeeping and stopwatch capabilities with distance and speed measurement scales.

The mono-button configuration serves as the singular interface for the chronograph's stop-start functions. The vendor reports that the movement is currently running.

Evidence for this section
  • “well running 17 jewel Pierce in house movement”
  • “Pierce was marketed as a 4 in 1 watch in that it contained a timekeeper, a stopwatch, a telemetre scale to measure sound distance as well as a tachymetre scale to measure speed.”

Historical Context and Provenance

The vendor attributes the widespread use of these chronographs to the British Army's medical division during the Second World War, noting the British government as a significant contractor. Furthermore, the watch is identified as a navigator pilot's chronograph, a designation applied during the late 1940s.

Additional historical context provided indicates that Pierce chronographs were designated as the official timekeepers for the flight crew of Trans-Caribbean Airlines.

Evidence for this section
  • “The British government was the largest contractor of the Pierce Chrono until the end of the second World War.”
  • “Pierce Chronographs were used extensively by the British Army's medical division.”
  • “Pierce Chronographs were selected as the official watch for the flight crew of Trans-Caribbean Airlines.”

Open research questions

  • Verification of the specific military procurement records for Pierce chronographs within the British Army
  • Confirmation of the official status of Pierce chronographs in relation to Trans-Caribbean Airlines flight crews

Source evidence

Recorded claims and source quotations for Pierce Mono-Button Chronograph
FieldSource-reported valueSource quotation
MakerPierce“Pierce”
Movement17 jewel in-house movement“17 jewel Pierce in house movement”
Case diameter34 mm“34mm diameter excluding pushers”
Case materialStainless steel“Stainless steel back and bezel”
FunctionsTimekeeping, stopwatch, telemeter scale, tachymeter scale“contained a timekeeper, a stopwatch, a telemetre scale to measure sound distance as well as a tachymetre scale to measure speed”
Circa1940s“Circa 1940's”

Visible details

  • Single push-button mechanism on the side of the case
  • Luminous Arabic numeral hour markers
  • White chronograph hand visible against the black dial
  • Telemeter and tachymeter scales printed on the dial periphery

Research qualifications

  • Historical military and aviation associations are attributed by the vendor without primary source documentation
  • The specific production year within the 1940s is not verified

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

Consulted source

ساعت مچی کرنوگراف نظامی Pierce تک‌دکمه‌ای دهه ۱۹۴۰

Reviewed 2026-11-02 · Record df9cad2f8e

Terms in this record

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