The subject of this auction is a truly, truly rare piece of military watch history: an original Nova Ancre early pilot's watch of the German Air Force from around 1930 with knurled bezel and arrow index, the precursor of the military chronograph as described in detail by Konrad Knirim in the "Bible of Military Watches".
What makes this magnificent artifact of military watch history truly unique is the fact that it incorporates a well-known brand movement, the Anton Schild caliber 153.
Due to the exceptional quality of workmanship described below, this could/should be a prototype for a tender/competition held by the Reich Aviation Museum around 1930.
The very rare, early pilot's watches with knurled bezel and arrow index were the first true pilot's watches because they were the first models to exhibit the typical features of a chronograph predecessor: curved, fixed lugs, knurled bezel with arrow index and indirect seconds on the black dial.
The classic wristwatch catalog, for example, lists the early Natalis pilot's watch with an estimated value of €2,500, and an Omega – which we currently have in our eBay shop – even with €5,000, with a strong upward trend in value.
Description:
Rare and interesting German pilot's watch from the 1930s, brand "Nova Ancre" with original Anton Schild movement.
Metal case, snap-on case back, manual winding, cylinder escapement, rotating bezel with arrow markers, black dial, small seconds, luminous hands and numerals, fabric strap, movement running, impressive 41 mm case diameter like the most famous of all early pilot's watches: the Natalis, beautifully crafted Breguet hands with full radium filling
The robust movement is of truly exceptional quality: an original Anton Schild caliber 153.
It is probably a prototype, because in a tender issued by the Reich Air Ministry, they wanted to offer the best quality that could be manufactured.
These early pilot's watches of the German Air Force, lacking chronograph functions for the precise measurement and display of flight duration, were generally equipped with a rotating, knurled bezel and index markers. Wide, curved lugs and supports extending far to the rear, which became a distinguishing feature of these early pilot's watches, allowed them to be worn on a long strap over flight suits.
All models of this period already possessed the typical features that later became the standard for all Wehrmacht service watches: indirect seconds at the "6", black dial, radium-filled hands and Arabic numerals.
Early pilot's watches, all issued unmarked because, according to the Treaty of Versailles, there was no Reichswehr, let alone Luftwaffe, in Germany, were manufactured by practically all renowned brands such as Omega, Longines, Zenith, IWC (caliber 83), Breitling, Titus, Helvetia, Tissot, Roamer, Lanco, Rellum, as well as the small manufacturers Natalis or Wagner, and supplied to the Reich Air Force.
As can be seen from the photos in this offer, according to the "Classic Wristwatches Catalog" by Muser Horlbeck, these pieces were/are traded for between €2500 and €5000, or achieved corresponding prices at the Muser/Horlbeck auction house.
Runs and functions perfectly - accuracy not tested
EZ: 2: Functional, good collector's condition with few visible signs of wear on the case, dial and radium fillings complete and in good condition for its age.
