Skip to content
The Encyclopedia of Horology

Pocket watches · Purpose

Military Pocket Watches

Partially verified

Pocket watches procured to government or service specification, usually plain, robust and marked with issue numbers or broad arrows.

Mechanism

Standard lever movements selected for robustness and serviceability rather than refinement.

Typical characteristics

  • Base metal or nickel cases, black or white legible dials
  • Issue marks, broad arrows, or service department stamps
  • Frequently accompanied by surviving procurement records

Identification characteristics

  • Case-back issue markings and contract numbers
  • Dial layouts specified by the procuring authority
  • Cross-reference movement serials with published contract ranges where available

Collector significance

Documented provenance makes military examples valuable research objects; issue marks are widely faked.

Known variations

  • Deck watches
  • GSTP watches
  • Artillery and navigation watches

Photographs

Longines Pocket Watch Given to Charles A. Lindbergh By Guatemalan Military - DPLA - 09ba7909d34e65e4b8dd7d4a31542730 (page 1)
Longines Pocket Watch Given to Charles A. Lindbergh By Guatemalan Military - DPLA - 09ba7909d34e65e4b8dd7d4a31542730 (page 1) — Longines Wittnauer Watch Company, No restrictions. Wikimedia Commons file page
Longines Pocket Watch Given to Charles A. Lindbergh By Guatemalan Military - DPLA - 09ba7909d34e65e4b8dd7d4a31542730 (page 3)
Longines Pocket Watch Given to Charles A. Lindbergh By Guatemalan Military - DPLA - 09ba7909d34e65e4b8dd7d4a31542730 (page 3) — Longines Wittnauer Watch Company, No restrictions. Wikimedia Commons file page
Longines Pocket Watch Given to Charles A. Lindbergh By Guatemalan Military - DPLA - 09ba7909d34e65e4b8dd7d4a31542730 (page 6)
Longines Pocket Watch Given to Charles A. Lindbergh By Guatemalan Military - DPLA - 09ba7909d34e65e4b8dd7d4a31542730 (page 6) — Longines Wittnauer Watch Company, No restrictions. Wikimedia Commons file page

Photographs are illustrative examples of the type, not necessarily the exact object described. Verify details against the source file page.

Sources & references

  1. National archive procurement records (varies by country)
  2. Contract-range data is incomplete for many issuers.

Where sources disagree, the disagreement is stated rather than resolved silently.