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5938

Rolex 6542 GMT Master r>
Original plastic bezel, 'roulette' date wheel. 

Price on application

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5950

Rolex 5508 ‘James Bond’ Submariner

Rare '4 line' chronometer dial

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5944

Rolex 5512 Submariner

Punched papers

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5955

Rolex 6536 ‘James Bond’ Submariner

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5763

Stowa Mark 1 B Uhr                    

One of the rarest of the famed WW II German “B-Uhrs”, even more so than the IWC version, this is the mark 1 Stowa model. It differs from the more common mark 2 and 3 versions in a number of aspects, most noticeably in the dial and movement.

These watches are commonly known as “B-Uhrs” short for “Beobachtungsuhr” or observer’s watch; however a more correct translation would be “Navigator’s watch” and were used by the navigator to perform navigational calculations.

These mark 1 Stowa watches have the highest quality movement ever fitted in a B-Uhr wristwatch, it is a Unitas 2812 marine chronometer quality, with a cut Guillaume balance equipped with heavy gold adjusting screws.  It has 20 jewels, most of them in chatons and is fitted with a “swan’s neck” micrometer regulator. It has a hacking system operated by the winding crown, when pulled to the hand setting position a small flat spring pushes up against the balance wheel & stops it. In June 1942 the specifications were changed and simpler movements and a more cluttered dial was fitted. The reasons for this were twofold, first so many planes were being lost that production had to be increased and the time needed for finishing the high grade movements could no longer be spent. For this reason, and because the Stowas (and the IWCs) used an imported movement, no 2^nd or 3^rd generation Stowas were ever made. Secondly, the special accuracy of the high grades was now not needed; as the Luftwaffe no longer relied on “dead reckoning” for bomb aiming. The Germans had introduced two types of radio direction finding equipment (X-Gerat and Knickebein), which negated the need for precision map reading & timekeeping.

The case is made of a special non magnetic alloy of nickel silver which is then nickel plated and then a special grey anodised coating is applied. It has the specification number FL23883 engraved on the case side opposite the winding crown. And inside the case back the full history is also engraved, this shows the maker, Stowa;  the specification number FL23883 and the finisher, Walter Stortz of Pforzheim (Stowa’s actual company name), as the watch is unissued the contract number has not been engraved, this is usually an 8 digit code but here only the first 3 digits have been engraved. There are a few scratches on the rear of the case; otherwise it is as if it left the factory yesterday, not 65 years ago.

The dial is the conventional style with a large triangle at 12 and the remainder of the hours as large luminous Arabic numerals. The later watches had the hours in an inner circle and only the minutes on the periphery, making this early (pre 1942) style dial much rarer.

These watches were not “issued” in the same way as in the Allied air forces, rather a Navigator would be supplied with one prior to a raid and it would be returned to the stores after the mission was de-briefed.

Dial & movement are both 99+% whilst the case is 95%.
Diameter 55mm; Lug to Lug 64mm; Height 17mm., it takes an 25mm strap and the unused original strap is still fitted.

£3,500.00

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5916

Rolex Air King 'Domino's Pizza'

With original paperwork

£3,250.00 (approx $6,600.00 US)

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5710

Rolex Oysterdate

Rare Applied Roman tritium dial

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5651

Rolex Salmon Dial Oyster Chronograph

Stainless Steel Rolex Oyster Chronograph, model 6034

Price on application

5716

Rolex Submariner 5513 with 'Maxi' dial

 

SOLD

5754

Rolex 1920s Chronograph with 'Bucherer' dial
 

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5850

Rolex 5512 with Square Shoulders

Gilt dial with outer railway track, faded bezel insert

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