History of the pilot's watches of the Reichsluftwaffe
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History of the pilot watches of the Reichsluftwaffe:
On January 30, 1933, Hermann Göring was appointed Reich Commissioner for Aviation, and on May 10, 1933, the "Reich Air Ministry" was founded. On May 1, 1933, approximately 550 aviation officers were transferred from the Army and Navy and formed the core of a third branch of the armed forces. The first armament program of 1933 envisioned an air fleet of approximately 600 aircraft, with a focus on bomber squadrons.
In March 1935, Reich Defense Minister Blomberg ordered the gradual unmasking of the Luftwaffe, which until then had been built up in secrecy due to the prohibition of the Treaty of Versailles.
From the very beginning, robust and highly precise pilot's watches played a major role in the equipment of young fighter pilots. At the beginning of the 1930s, two factors played a key role in the selection and quality of pilot's watches: First, the wrist chronograph, which would later become common in World War II, had just been invented, and second, the existence of an Imperial Air Force was not permitted under the Treaty of Versailles.
For this reason, the early and indeed very first pilot's watches were not signed or marked with any Reich Air Force symbols.
This first generation of pilot watches of the Reichsluftwaffe were almost identical in dimensions, construction and function:
With a 40mm case diameter—the later size of the legendary Wehrmacht chronographs—slightly larger than "normal" service watches, they were generally equipped with a rotating, knurled bezel and index markers due to the lack of chronograph functions for precise measurement and display of flight duration. Wide, curved lugs and lugs, which extended far back to the rear, which became a distinguishing feature of these early pilot's watches, allowed them to be worn on a long strap over the pilot's overalls.
All models of this period already possessed the typical features that later became standard for all Wehrmacht service watches: indirect second hand at the "6," a black dial, radium-filled hands, and Arabic numerals. Early pilot's watches with arrow indexes, all issued unmarked, were produced by virtually all renowned brands and supplied to the Reich Air Force.
Given that the air corps and squadrons of the Imperial Air Force initially numbered only a few hundred pilots (although these models were also used by the thousands of Reich Air Force crews), these rare early pilot's watches were only produced in very small numbers and therefore today achieve similar prices at specialist auctions to the technically much more complex legendary B-watches and Wehrmacht chronographs, which were later produced in significantly larger numbers.
In the mid-1930s, major watch manufacturers developed and, from 1938 onward, produced genuine pilot's chronographs and so-called B-Uhren (observation watches), which represented the absolute state of the art of watchmaking and technology at the time. Both versions of high-precision, military watchmaking had a significantly larger diameter of approximately 40mm to 60mm (B-Uhr) compared to the so-called "service watches for the army and Wehrmacht."
Until shortly before the end of the war, these legendary, rare, and coveted pilot's watches were signed by the now officially established Reich Air Force with "RLM," "Reich Air Ministry," and often additionally engraved with "NAV B Uhr." However, starting in 1944, in the hustle and bustle of the looming loss of the World War, unsigned models were also issued to the air force.
B-Uhren were produced at various locations; for example, the dials were manufactured centrally and delivered by the Wehrmacht. In some cases, existing movements (e.g., from Durowe) were also used. There were two versions of the legendary B-Uhren dial: initially, from 1939, the version without an inner hour circle and with a triangle and two dots instead of the "12." From 1943, the version with an inner hour circle without a triangle was introduced (for this version, the hour hand was made smaller).
The reason for this was that it was discovered that the Luftwaffe primarily flew short missions, and for this reason, the indication and legibility of the minutes was significantly more important than that of the hours. From 1943 onward, only the new dials with a large minute circle were used, and every time an older model was sent in for maintenance or repair, the dial was replaced at the same time. The older, larger hour hand was usually left on the clock because there weren't enough new, smaller hour hands available.
For this reason, a large number of B-clocks with an inner hour circle and large hour hands still exist today. These examples are not "cobbled together," but rather represent a completely authentic piece of military clock history: originally built with a large hour circle and triangle, they were damaged in combat (e.g., a pilot crash or a grenade splinter impact). They were then repaired, the new dial was installed, and the old hour hand was retained due to a lack of spare parts.
The legendary level of fame and - in comparison to the number of active fighter pilots - the high numbers of these magnificent pieces that were produced can be explained by the fact that the B-Uhren and Fliegerchronographs were naturally desired, bought, worn and shown off as the latest state of the art and also as a status symbol by the officer corps and the general staff up to the highest army command, the heads and grandees of the Third Reich.
With the introduction of the above-mentioned pilot's watches, the High Command of the Air Force, which was rearming with all its might for the impending World War, made a distinction between pilots and crew members when issuing pilot's watches.
While in the early 1930s pilots, flight crews and ground crews received and wore the same watches, the B-watches and chronographs were issued exclusively to pilots and bomb gunners, while the crews and flight crews received smaller, much less elaborate service watches similar to those worn by the Herr and other combat units.
Since the generally recognized Wehrmacht signature "DH" is clearly assigned to the "Heer Dienstuhren" (Army Service Watches), it is now assumed that the signature "D" was intended for all Luftwaffe service watches. Thus, from approximately 1936 to 1944, Luftwaffe service wristwatches were marked either with "D," "RLM," or both. Before 1936 and from 1944 onward, they were also issued unsigned for the reasons already mentioned.
The calibers used were the "space-saving wonders" UROFA 85, 58 and 581, which were specially developed for mass production as part of the Luftwaffe's rearmament in the mid/late 1930s, the so-called "Wehrmacht caliber" AS 1130 by Anton Schild, as well as the PUW (Pforzheimer Uhrenwerke) calibers 300 and 500, which were delivered centrally to the manufactories, but also the respective manufacturers' own movements.
For collectors and enthusiasts of Wehrmacht watches, Luftwaffe pilot watches are a special treat because they were produced in significantly smaller numbers than the army and were sometimes much more robust and elaborately crafted, as well as having special additional functions such as a rotating bezel with indexing, a screwed stainless steel back, shock protection, or additional anti-magnetic soft iron protection.
Especially the very early and rare pilot watches with arrow index often achieve prices at specialist auctions on a par with the legendary B-Uhren and Wehrmacht chronographs.
On January 30, 1933, Hermann Göring was appointed Reich Commissioner for Aviation, and on May 10, 1933, the "Reich Air Ministry" was founded. On May 1, 1933, approximately 550 aviation officers were transferred from the Army and Navy and formed the core of a third branch of the armed forces. The first armament program of 1933 envisioned an air fleet of approximately 600 aircraft, with a focus on bomber squadrons.
In March 1935, Reich Defense Minister Blomberg ordered the gradual unmasking of the Luftwaffe, which until then had been built up in secrecy due to the prohibition of the Treaty of Versailles.
From the very beginning, robust and highly precise pilot's watches played a major role in the equipment of young fighter pilots. At the beginning of the 1930s, two factors played a key role in the selection and quality of pilot's watches: First, the wrist chronograph, which would later become common in World War II, had just been invented, and second, the existence of an Imperial Air Force was not permitted under the Treaty of Versailles.
For this reason, the early and indeed very first pilot's watches were not signed or marked with any Reich Air Force symbols.
This first generation of pilot watches of the Reichsluftwaffe were almost identical in dimensions, construction and function:
With a 40mm case diameter—the later size of the legendary Wehrmacht chronographs—slightly larger than "normal" service watches, they were generally equipped with a rotating, knurled bezel and index markers due to the lack of chronograph functions for precise measurement and display of flight duration. Wide, curved lugs and lugs, which extended far back to the rear, which became a distinguishing feature of these early pilot's watches, allowed them to be worn on a long strap over the pilot's overalls.
All models of this period already possessed the typical features that later became standard for all Wehrmacht service watches: indirect second hand at the "6," a black dial, radium-filled hands, and Arabic numerals. Early pilot's watches with arrow indexes, all issued unmarked, were produced by virtually all renowned brands and supplied to the Reich Air Force.
Given that the air corps and squadrons of the Imperial Air Force initially numbered only a few hundred pilots (although these models were also used by the thousands of Reich Air Force crews), these rare early pilot's watches were only produced in very small numbers and therefore today achieve similar prices at specialist auctions to the technically much more complex legendary B-watches and Wehrmacht chronographs, which were later produced in significantly larger numbers.
In the mid-1930s, major watch manufacturers developed and, from 1938 onward, produced genuine pilot's chronographs and so-called B-Uhren (observation watches), which represented the absolute state of the art of watchmaking and technology at the time. Both versions of high-precision, military watchmaking had a significantly larger diameter of approximately 40mm to 60mm (B-Uhr) compared to the so-called "service watches for the army and Wehrmacht."
Until shortly before the end of the war, these legendary, rare, and coveted pilot's watches were signed by the now officially established Reich Air Force with "RLM," "Reich Air Ministry," and often additionally engraved with "NAV B Uhr." However, starting in 1944, in the hustle and bustle of the looming loss of the World War, unsigned models were also issued to the air force.
B-Uhren were produced at various locations; for example, the dials were manufactured centrally and delivered by the Wehrmacht. In some cases, existing movements (e.g., from Durowe) were also used. There were two versions of the legendary B-Uhren dial: initially, from 1939, the version without an inner hour circle and with a triangle and two dots instead of the "12." From 1943, the version with an inner hour circle without a triangle was introduced (for this version, the hour hand was made smaller).
The reason for this was that it was discovered that the Luftwaffe primarily flew short missions, and for this reason, the indication and legibility of the minutes was significantly more important than that of the hours. From 1943 onward, only the new dials with a large minute circle were used, and every time an older model was sent in for maintenance or repair, the dial was replaced at the same time. The older, larger hour hand was usually left on the clock because there weren't enough new, smaller hour hands available.
For this reason, a large number of B-clocks with an inner hour circle and large hour hands still exist today. These examples are not "cobbled together," but rather represent a completely authentic piece of military clock history: originally built with a large hour circle and triangle, they were damaged in combat (e.g., a pilot crash or a grenade splinter impact). They were then repaired, the new dial was installed, and the old hour hand was retained due to a lack of spare parts.
The legendary level of fame and - in comparison to the number of active fighter pilots - the high numbers of these magnificent pieces that were produced can be explained by the fact that the B-Uhren and Fliegerchronographs were naturally desired, bought, worn and shown off as the latest state of the art and also as a status symbol by the officer corps and the general staff up to the highest army command, the heads and grandees of the Third Reich.
With the introduction of the above-mentioned pilot's watches, the High Command of the Air Force, which was rearming with all its might for the impending World War, made a distinction between pilots and crew members when issuing pilot's watches.
While in the early 1930s pilots, flight crews and ground crews received and wore the same watches, the B-watches and chronographs were issued exclusively to pilots and bomb gunners, while the crews and flight crews received smaller, much less elaborate service watches similar to those worn by the Herr and other combat units.
Since the generally recognized Wehrmacht signature "DH" is clearly assigned to the "Heer Dienstuhren" (Army Service Watches), it is now assumed that the signature "D" was intended for all Luftwaffe service watches. Thus, from approximately 1936 to 1944, Luftwaffe service wristwatches were marked either with "D," "RLM," or both. Before 1936 and from 1944 onward, they were also issued unsigned for the reasons already mentioned.
The calibers used were the "space-saving wonders" UROFA 85, 58 and 581, which were specially developed for mass production as part of the Luftwaffe's rearmament in the mid/late 1930s, the so-called "Wehrmacht caliber" AS 1130 by Anton Schild, as well as the PUW (Pforzheimer Uhrenwerke) calibers 300 and 500, which were delivered centrally to the manufactories, but also the respective manufacturers' own movements.
For collectors and enthusiasts of Wehrmacht watches, Luftwaffe pilot watches are a special treat because they were produced in significantly smaller numbers than the army and were sometimes much more robust and elaborately crafted, as well as having special additional functions such as a rotating bezel with indexing, a screwed stainless steel back, shock protection, or additional anti-magnetic soft iron protection.
Especially the very early and rare pilot watches with arrow index often achieve prices at specialist auctions on a par with the legendary B-Uhren and Wehrmacht chronographs.
Copyright 2007: Reiner Haas