The history of the war modern was punctuated, it should be said, by the ticking of the wrist watches. Few people know that wrist timepieces have taken over from pocket only when i veterans of the first world war brought its fashion into the civilian sphere: previously, only women wore the watch on their wrist.
But it is in the Second World War that watches become real protagonists. The technical improvements of the XNUMXs make wristwatches capable of withstanding the stress of battle.
In this first part, we will look at two military watches related to the world aviation. In the next article, we will also cover land and naval forces.
Rolex Air-king
Il Rolex Air King it is perhaps the most ambiguous of the military models. It was never used as a stopwatch by any armed force, but numerous British pilots wore it on their wrists in wartime. Confused? Now we explain everything.
The founder of Rolex, Hans Wilsdorf, was a man of great business acumen. During the Second World War, he realized that helping British pilots captive in German territory would ensure a notable return on the image in the burgeoning English-speaking markets. Rolex then starts to send, along with the Red Cross gift packages, its watches to some RAF pilots. They are simple and sturdy models, of the only time that the soldiers will become attached to and that they will show to friends when they return home. Thus spreading the popularity of the Crown brand under the certainly evocative name of Air King.
IWC Special Watch For Pilots
In 1936, the International Watch Company responds to the requests of the European military air forces with a watch designed for aviation use. This is a timepiece with a 39mm case - it was considered large at the time! -, oversized winding crown to be operated with gloves, clean dial with large legible numbers and a rotating bezel equipped with a pointer to be used for chronometry.
This clock became famous during the Second World War thanks to its use by the Luftwaffe, which combines it with an accessory that has recently returned to great fashion: the strap "Bund", which allows you to isolate the case from the driver's skin. Useful in case of fires on board, as it prevents the hot metal of the watch from burning the pilot.
The style ofIWC Special Watch For Pilots continues to be an inspiration for the House of Schaffhausen. One example is it IWC Big Pilots, among the major successes of the International Watch Company.
In the next installment, we will discover two watches that have equipped the US army and the Italian navy. Are you curious to find out more? Subscribe to the Chronosect newsletter to not miss a single article from our Magazine!
