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WW1 timepieces


River Rat 1
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Here are a few WW1 era wristlets. The first is out of my favorite book on US issued timepiece by Whittney called military timepieces. Was lucky to spot it on eBay kind of cool to have a watch that was in that book it also has what called a shrapnel guard cover over the crystal of the watch. The other a Waltham in a Depollier case saw USNR on the back cover and when I got off active duty in the Navy and then did the reserve after had to have it. I got more WW1 era timepieces I will post a few more when I have time. If anyone else have any post them. 

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Yes, some very nice time pieces!

Here is my grandfather's Elgin wristwatch. Having left the University of Illinois his senior year and becoming a newly minted 2nd LT, his fraternity brothers gave him this watch as a going away gift.

Kim

 

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Here's my latest, came in the mail yesterday. Belonged to George S. Kutz of Lancaster County, PA. Interesting thing is he had a very short military career. Enlisted in October 1917 and medically discharged in February 1918 before his unit went overseas. He was in K Company 316th Inf, 79th Division. I notice his pin shows two sons in service so maybe one of his brothers took the watch overseas? It surprises me he would have a shrapnel guard from use in the states but maybe that was more common than I would thing.

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albatrosdva

Congrats on your WW1 era watch. I would get it service and I know of three Ww1 era strap makers let me know if want info on them.

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Kim cool watch from one of your relatives that served in WW1. Here are a few photos from my grandfather who served in WW1 and WW2. Do got his pocket watch he got on his 21st birthday don't know if he used it during WW1. He got in the Navy early aviation.

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Couple more. Left one was presented to John S Hamilton from his fellow employees at H O Roger's Silver Company. Hamilton served in E Company, 117th Supply Train, 36th Division in the AEF in France. The one on the right is not engraved but came from the estate of Shelton H Short, who was a second Lt in the Marines in WWI and a Major in WWII. 20211226_102500.jpg.7b202f0f81c384ed335b2745b60eba54.jpg

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One more for now, this watch was presented to Willard Lawrence Hazard from his friends at the Pension Bureau. He started work at the Pension Bureau in 1893 and worked there until 1943 with time out for Border War and WWI service. He enlisted the day we declared war on April 6, 1917. He served overseas with the 128th Infantry, 32nd Division in several campaigns.

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A few more ones called the Persing dial read these could have been issued, there 29th and QM and two initials on the back case cover. The 29th div was a Army National Guard unit that got activated in WW1. The other was issued to the US Army signal Corps.

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To store them I got this British Navy WW1 ditty box. It was missing the lock so found a proper lock with skeleton key, bought some form now a cool watch box. When I was in the Navy we had a cheap cloth bag called a ditty bag dam they had better stuff in WW1.

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I'll add a few more. The above posts are decent watches. I will add a few from the "project" section. First up is a Lancet Swiss watch which belonged to Walter Nelson when he served in the NH National Guard. He did not see WWI service and was from Vermont so I suspect he had to lie his way into the New Hampshire Guard. Probably couldn't pass the physical for WWI service. This is the same type of watch as from the Pulp Fiction movie. It needs a second hand and crystal. Works great and keeps time.

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Next up is this early spring lug cushion case Elgin made in the spring of 1918. Late in the war the modern system of watch bands was created with spring bars. Before that everything had solid wire lugs. This one acts like it wants to tick but it isn't. I think the hair spring is bent some. 

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My last one for now. Pershing dial Elgin. Dial is dated 11-17 on the back. Sadly the case is a period correct replacement. It works well for it but it originally came in a very sad fahys case with an integral shrapnel guard. Guard, bezel and back were all missing so it will stay in this case unless I happen to find missing pieces on ebay or wherever. 

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I forgot I had these pictures on my phone so I can add one more tonight. This is an American watch for a Canadian soldier so I hope this is allowed. A 1914 Waltham owned by Canadian Artillery Gunner Robert Russell Emerson who enlisted in March 1916 and was trained in the 59th Battery Canadian Expeditionary Forces. The 59th Battery left Hallifax for England in September 1916 and through reorganization was absorbed into the 60th and 61st Batteries on January 22, 1917. Gunner Emerson then became part of the 61st Battery which was part of the 14th Canadian Artillery Brigade. I read through some of the 14th Brigade war diaries and it's pretty fascinating. Talking about codes for firing in coordination with infantry attacks and raids, firing shells to destroy the enemy barbed wire. He would have been part of the 2nd Battle of Passchendaele in November 1917. He also was on the northern fringes of the fighting in the Battle of Cambrai (Nov-Dec 1917) and also would have been part of the Battle of Amiens (August 1918), these are in addition to the constant you shoot at me I shoot at you of trench warfare. A true trench watch worn by an artillery gunner in the trenches.

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Hello

This is a great thread for someone who has an interest in military watches.

I do not have a watch this early but do have a photo in my "collection" from Manila with a US soldier wearing what a appears to be a watch, he is posing and seems very proud of it.

It is probably a one of a kind photo or very rare photo showing a soldier wearing a watch turn of the century.

 

 

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13 hours ago, 45govt said:

Hello

This is a great thread for someone who has an interest in military watches.

I do not have a watch this early but do have a photo in my "collection" from Manila with a US soldier wearing what a appears to be a watch, he is posing and seems very proud of it.

It is probably a one of a kind photo or very rare photo showing a soldier wearing a watch turn of the century.

 

 

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What a great photo. Thanks for sharing. It's really thick so I suspect it is a pocket watch in a leatherstrap like this. I suppose it could be a wrist compass also but either way that's very cool.

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Glad I am not the only one who collect military timepieces. Here is my last WW1 era timepiece in the collection unless I add more. A Waltham deck watch issued the US Navy in WW1 made around 1918.

 

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Picked up this oddball trench watch at a local auction in VA. Haven't ever seen a hexagonal trench watch before. After I got it apart and cleaned up the old grease from the setting parts it is functioning normally. It did not want to set at first. It's a Swiss watch but all sides used those so I'm sure it is appropriate 

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  • 1 month later...

Here is another family piece. It belonged to my uncle's father who served with a signal unit in the 38th Division in WW1. It came with the box (unmarked) which I presume is from that era . Crystal has a crack in it.

The underside of the leather band shows a lot of wear so I'm sure it was worn a lot .

Kim

 

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dhcoleterracina

This one is part of a larger group belonging to a soldier who was wounded in WW1. It's heavily worn and he may have been wearing it when wounded. The hands or one of them is loose inside the case. The watch is marked Ingersoll Midget.  

 

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