M I L I T E R I U M » Military Watch

The Perfect Military Watch – Fortis B-42 Pilot Watch

militerium — Thu, 04 Mar 2010 06:56:12 +0000

The Fortis B-42 Pilot Watch is specially designed and targeted at pilots and astronauts who spend a lot of time in the air. As the same with most watches, it does not only tell time but also act as a statement of the wearer.
The Fortis watches were first unveiled in 1912, which were well received among those people who like adventurous life like pilots and astronauts. The mechanical functions with high precision and accuracy make them an ideal choice for anyone who ventures into the sky.
The Fortis B-42 Pilot watch stands out in the Fortis watches collection for its splendid combination of soberness and elegance, yet suitable for the life in the air. It contains 25 jewels and an Incabloc shock absorber together with an ETA automatic movement, day and date indications, sweep seconds and 28, 800 semi-vibrations per hour. The superLuminova polished hands, numerals and indices enable it easy to read in the dark environment. The mineral crystal and the sapphire crystal which has the effect of anti-reflecting are infused on the back of the stainless steel case, making it very practical in the special environment. All these distinguish features make it a dream watch for many people.

One prominent feature that make the Fortis B-42 Pilot watch stand out from other watches lies on its classic black dial with Arabic numerals, which adds both conventional and modern features to the timepiece. It has various straps, including black leather strap, brown leather strap and so on.
If you are thinking of purchasing a Fortis watch that is suitable for adventurous movements, then I would recommend that you go for the Fortis B-42 Pilot Watch. It would be a good choice since it is worthy every penny of your money.

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Wenger Swiss Military Men’s Brigade Military Watch #72948

militerium — Sun, 28 Feb 2010 13:58:41 +0000

Precise and quality Swiss-Quartz movement
Durable mineral crystal; Unidirectional rotating bezel
High visibility - Quick charge luminous hands and markers
3-Yr Manufacturer's Limited Warranty
Water resistant up to 330 feet (100 M)

Product Description
Wenger Swiss Military Brigade Watch - Men's Stainless Steel Watches Swiss Military Brigade: Wenger Men Brigade Petrol Blue Sunray Dial with Stainless Steel Bracelet Model 72948Amazon.com Product Description
Ideal for the rigors of military training, the Wenger Swiss Military Men's Brigade Military Watch showcases superior construction, a unidirectional bezel, and quick-charge luminous hour markers and watch hands, making it a highly functional and reliable... More >>

Wenger Swiss Military Men's Brigade Military Watch #72948

Tritium Self Luminous Technology in Military Watches

militerium — Wed, 24 Feb 2010 21:09:08 +0000

One of the main issues with watches is night time visibility. Luminous paint requires a charge from a lightsource such as the sun and then only lasts for 20 minutes or so before starting to dim. An alternative is battery powered backlighting, however this causes a massive drain on the battery of the watch. A once 'Top Secret' technology is available to the public in the form of Tritium Gas Self Luminous watches. Tritium gas is a very safe lightsource which glows for 20 or more years, however due to its half life manufacturers such as mb-microtec only quote a 10 year life. They do not require a light charge or battery power, but use low level radiation to glow. Traser is the leading brand, supplied by http://www.telford-services.com

Traser is the brand favoured by Special Forces such as the SAS, SBS, Rangers, Green Berets and French Foreign Legion. The range includes the P6500 infantry specification watch through to the P6506 Titanium Special Forces version. An online Traser brochure is available to view and download from http://www.traser.eu.com and specialist watch dealer http://www.telford-services.com has the full range available to members of the public. These watches are very popular with fishermen, hunters, outdoors people and those involve in police and security work. mb-microtec also manufacture the Luminox brand favoured by US Navy SEAL's. Other brands are becoming more popular with light sources from SRB in Canada. These include Marathon (US Military Issue), Rescuer, NITE, Smith and Wesson and KHS. The designs of these watches are very similar and aimed primarily at the military market. This is with the exception of the Rescuer watch which was designed specifically for the emergency services and has a more civillian appearance. All of these brands are available from Telford Services.

What You Should Know About Choosing Military Watches

militerium — Sun, 21 Feb 2010 03:55:52 +0000

Military watches were once made for the armed forces although over the years, its use has evolved. Nowadays, you will find many young people using these watches for fashion. The market for these watches has indeed grown and thus new designs are coming out. Aside from functionality, manufacturers of military watches have factored in fashion to their designs.

These watches come in pretty handy especially if you are involved in activities that require explorations. There are watches that also function as a compass. They can also function as a light source, so they come in handy when you are on an expedition trip.

There are stores and manufacturers that offer customized watches according to customers' likings, so you can choose which features to include in your watch. You can also make sure that your watch matches your regular outfits. However, choosing military watches these days can be a bit difficult if you don't know what to look for.

Choosing Military Watches in the Market

Some of the best military watch manufactures in the market today include the following - Sinn, CWC, Marathon Watch Company, Casio, MWC, Bell & Ross, MWC, IWC, Orfina, Hamilton and Kobold.

When choosing military watches, make sure that you pick genuine items. Do not be duped by fancy and convincing sales talk. You may fall prey to conmen who are merely looking to earn some cash at your expense. You need to learn how to differentiate between a genuine and a fake watch to get your money's worth. But how do you know the difference? What are the things that you should look out for?

Qualities to Look Out for When Choosing Military Watches

A good watch should have a night vision feature. There are watches that will glow for a long time during the night even without light exposure. These watches use H3 tritium technology, so you can basically read this kind of watch in low light or even in complete darkness.

The second quality that you should look out for is durability. This should be your primary concern. Make sure that you can use the watch for a considerably long time. Avoid watches that are made out of flimsy materials. Instead, look for military watches with body, strap and case that are made of titanium.

After checking the material used to create the watch, you should check the hands. Make sure that they have exact chronograph movement. You don't want to end up with a beautiful watch that is absolutely useless.

When choosing military watches, make sure that you pick out water resistant ones. Your watch should hold up to bad weather. It is useless to purchase something that immediately stops working the minute it hits water. It should be water resistant at least up to a depth of 300 feet.

Also, make sure that the watch you are going to purchase has great quality Swiss components. You should ensure that you end with a watch that is Swiss engineered and designed.

Choosing military watches with the above mentioned qualities will ensure you many years of dependable service. You don't have to enlist with the army just to enjoy a really great and even fashionable watch.

Peter Garant is writing articles about CWC Watches for a site about Military Watches.

What I Know About Shanghai Military Watches History

militerium — Wed, 17 Feb 2010 10:55:53 +0000

It was not until my friend Perry gave the site of A Chinese Military Forum where I found some old photos of Shanghai Military watches that I began to collect information about Chinese military watches.

I have a vague memory that Chinese people were proud to own Shanghai watches and bicycles when I was a very little girl. And I am sure, like many Chinese families, there must be an old Shanghai watch stopped at a forgotten corner of my house or my grandfather still wears one but I do not pay attention to. As for Shanghai military watches, I will,I certainly will talk with my great uncle, an old military man since 1947. He must know something about that.The following information is mainly collected from http://www.chinesewristwatch.com/ and other Watch forums as I have very little knowledge about military watches. If you are interested in Vintage Shanghai watches,micmicmor.blogspot.com/ is highly recommended.

Well, according the info collected, the first Chinese Military watch-Shang Hai A623 was made in 1965 by Shanghai Wristwatch Factory, powered by a movement called 623 which was based on Shanghai 581 movement and Rolex Date/shock resistance watch movement. Shanghai A623 was also the first wristwatch made in China with date function.

As far as I known of, A623 has two versions. The first version features golden carving “??” (Shanghai) on the dial and the second version has black and white “??” (Shanghai) printed on the dial. The date is displayed in red Arabic numerals. Premier Minister

Produced in very small number, A623 was only given to those High Ranking government & military Leaders that then. The first Premier Minister of PRC also had a second-version A623 and worn it until he passed away. That is why A623 also called “Premier Minister Watch.”

In 1969,Shanghai Wristwatch produced the 114 watches with 29 Jewels SS2 and 24 Jewels SS4 movements. The 114 could be divided into three versions according to the case back : the trial verison with 6 digits series number,the early version with 7 digits and late version with 8 digits serial number. On the dial of the early version 29J 114, it did not has the “Shanghai” logo it. Different than 29J 114, early version of 24J 114 had “Shanghai” logo on the dial and later version 24J 114 had “Torch” logo on the dial and the crown. Also on the rotor of SS2 29J which manufactured in 1967 had engraving “29 zhan, 29?” instead of “29 zuan, 29 ?.” 1970 version of 24J had “???? gunzhu zidong” instead of “??? quanzidong (automatic)” on the rotor.Totally 30,000 pieces 114 was made before the production was stopped in 1977.

In my humble opinion, the 114 military watches carries some clear design features of Rolex sea dweller watches and Blancpain diving watches. But i Particular love those Chinese elements: home-made movements, Chinese characters, Chinese red and many more.

Since wristwatch was regarded as luxury items at that time, only division commanders (or higher ranking officers) were qualified to purchase SS2 and regimental commanders (or higher ranking officers) were allowed to purchase SS4. But not all of the SS2 and SS4 movements were used in military watches. For example, there were SS4H, SS4H-K (19J mechanical watch), SS4B (19J mechanical watch with date), and SS2C (29J Automatic wristwatch with date)..

In 1978, Shanghai watch factory began to produced model 1220 military watches which could be divided in to regular version and military version. Military version had “?? (military use)” on the dial and was was used in the Third Indochina War

Jinsheng Clock Manufacture Factory was another Chinese Watch-making power that provided special military watches. Capable to produce Diamond band mechanical stop watch, it manufactured special military watch models included 1/100seconds (model 501), 1/50seconds (model 502) and 1/5seconds (model 503) total 10 model series. 1964, the factory supplied MS1S and MS2S dual stop watches to the Navy. In 1968, the factory changed its name to “Shanghai Stopwatch Factory” and successfully manufactured 511-516 special made stop watch models for the Department of Homeland Defense in China.

More designer handbags and replica watches info at idolreplicas.info- an interesting blog specialized in luxury watches review

Military Watches

militerium — Sat, 13 Feb 2010 18:01:26 +0000

A Brief History of Military Watches

Military watches, as their name suggests, were developed for use in the armed forces. The first military watches were naval pieces, chronometers that worked well for their purposes, but as other branches of the military - aviation in particular - made major technological advances around the time of the Second World War, precise seconds became critical. As the saying goes, "necessity is the mother of invention," and Navigator (also known as "Pilot") watches were born.

In Navigator watch design, the seconds bezel allowed the pilot to synchronize the seconds hand with correct reference time before takeoff, and to make manual corrections to radio time signals while in flight, thus eliminating any "chronometer error" and the navigational errors that could result.

Great War, Great Technological Advances

Seconds continued to be of the essence in both military technology and military watches. "Center-seconds" hands, (also called a "hack seconds feature") - the feature that allowed for synchronization between two timepieces - continued to improve and advance.

The definitive Navigator "hack" watches feature a black dial and white Arabic numerals and indices, hour, minute, and center-seconds hands. Sizing is all over the board; historically, such notable companies as Elgin, Waltham, and Bulova Watches crafted watches (for the renamed Army Air Force in 1941), as small as 31mm in diameter. The German army tended toward larger faces, often in the 55mm range. These watches were worn on the outside of a flight jacket or on the navigator's thigh. The Germans also added antimagnetic protection to their chronometers.

Within another major Axis power, Seiko produced a staggering number of military watches for the Japanese Imperial Army and Navy. These watches averaged around 49mm in diameter.

Navigating The Cold War

As the days of WWII faded into memory and the strained peace of the "Cold War" became reality, military budgets and military technology boomed. In the era of nuclear bombs the airplane ascended to its most powerful military and political role in history. Watchmakers rose to the call by designing an instrument worthy of going into battle with humankind's most powerful weapon. Those were the Glory Days of the military watch, although no one design house can claim full credit for the strides made in the industry during that time.

Cold War-era military watches were much larger in size than the average American navigators before them. Averaging 36mm in diameter, the crafting of these timepieces was moved to Switzerland and Swiss military watch companies with centuries' old reputations for precision. Like those before them, these Navigators also featured a matte black dial marked with white Arabic numerals 1-12, and with white indices. The new designs did not have white numerals at cardinal 3, 6, 9, and 12. Another new addition was a shatterproof Perspex acrylic crystal, which protected its large 12 ligne movement from magnetic fields. These hand-wound watches were expected to be water-resistant to 20 feet, including water-resistance under low-pressure at operational altitudes.

Own A Piece of History - At A Reasonable Price

While several of the top-tier watchmakers are reviving this classic style, vintage quality does not have to break the bank. Seiko watches established a reputation for the brand, recognized by watch collectors. You can buy watches from Seiko for reasonable prices, classic Navigator-style watches can be enjoyed by all.

This Article is Originally Published here: Military Watches

Learn More:

When you buy watches online, be sure to check size, warranty information, shipping guarantee and their return policy. Kenmar Watches has been selling watches on the internet since 1997. They have been providing 100% CUSTOMER SATISFACTION from beginning.

James Manning is a recognized horologist authority and avid collector of watches, clocks and other timekeeping devices. He can be reached at www.kenmarwatches.com.

SMW Swiss Military Chrono Steel Leather T25.75.35.71

militerium — Wed, 10 Feb 2010 00:56:31 +0000

Product Description
The stand out of the SMW - Swiss Military Watch Serie, is the clear and timeless design and the functionality. H3 tritium light system means there is no need to hold this watch up to the light and you won´t need to press anything to see it. Just a quick glance will give you the correct time, anytime day or night ? leaving you free to concentrate on whatever you´re doing. The H3 tritium light system of this watch is underlayed with high polished steel plates. The u... More >>

SMW Swiss Military Chrono Steel Leather T25.75.35.71

SMW Swiss Military Commando Diver Steel PVD T25.36.44.11

militerium — Sat, 06 Feb 2010 07:59:46 +0000

SMW Swiss Military Commando Diver Steel PVD T25.36.44.11

Swiss Military Hanowa Women’s Sealander Dive Watch #06-6095-1-04-002

militerium — Tue, 02 Feb 2010 14:57:52 +0000

Precise Swiss-Quartz movement
All surgical stainless steel case
Luminous dots and hands for easy night reading
Screw down crown - Water resistant - 200M
Water-resistant to 500 feet (150 M)

Product Description
The Lady Sealander is the signature timepiece from Swiss Military. New with this ladies diver watch line are the genuine mother of pearl inlay on the unidirectional revolving bezel and popular pastel colors. With distinct features like domed mineral glass, water resistant level down to 200 meters and a sporty rubber strap, the Lady Sealander is the watch of choice for female outdoor and water sport enthusiasts. The watch is equipped with a luminous dial markers and ... More >>

Swiss Military Hanowa Women's Sealander Dive Watch #06-6095-1-04-002

Swiss Military Hanowa Women’s Sealander Black dial watch # 06-6195-13-007

militerium — Fri, 29 Jan 2010 21:57:24 +0000

Divers watch with rotating bezel
sturdy rubber strap to comfortably fit the wrist
Luminous index on dial and luminous hands for easy night reading
Domed mineral glass; Swiss precision quartz movement with date display
Water-resistant to 330 feet (100 M)

Amazon.com Product Description
The Lady Sealander is the signature timepiece from Swiss Military. New with this ladies diver watch line are the genuine mother of pearl inlay on the unidirectional revolving bezel . With distinct features like domed mineral glass, water resistant level down to 100 meters and a sporty rubber strap, the Lady Sealander is the watch of choice for female outdoor and water sport enthusiasts. The watch is equipped with a luminous dial markers and hands for easy... More >>

Swiss Military Hanowa Women's Sealander Black dial watch # 06-6195-13-007

Wenger Swiss Military Men’s Challenger Military Watch #79961

militerium — Tue, 26 Jan 2010 04:56:33 +0000

Precise and quality Swiss-Quartz movement
Durable mineral crystal; Unidirectional rotating bezel
High visibility - Quick charge luminous hands and numbers
3-Yr Manufacturer's Limited Warranty
Water resistant up to 330 feet (100 M)

Amazon.com Product Description
Showcasing a high-visibility, quick-charge dial, a unidirectional bezel, and dual time display, the Wenger Swiss Military Men's Challenger Military Watch prepares you for any eventuality. Constructed with a stainless steel case, the tough timepiece includes a unidirectional black bezel etched with Arabic numeral indexes at 10-minute intervals. It is secured to the wrist with a black nylon wristband with yellow leather accents and an adjustable Velcro clos... More >>

Wenger Swiss Military Men's Challenger Military Watch #79961

Swiss Military Hanowa Men’s Peace Maker Watch #06-5022-04-001

militerium — Fri, 15 Jan 2010 01:56:28 +0000

Precise Swiss-Quartz movement
All surgical stainless steel case with solid stainless steel bracelet
Luminous dots and hands for easy night reading
Water resistant - 100M
Case diameter - 40 MM

Product Description
The Peace Maker watch is perfect for work and play. The classic design includes top quality features like a unidirectional revolving bezel, water resistant level down to 100 meters and a solid stainless steel bracelet. Mineral crystal, quartz movement and date display at 3 o'clock. Case is made out of surgical stainless steel.... More >>

Swiss Military Hanowa Men's Peace Maker Watch #06-5022-04-001

Swiss Military Hanowa Women’s Sealander White dial watch # 06-6195-02-001

militerium — Mon, 11 Jan 2010 08:55:57 +0000

Divers watch with rotating bezel
sturdy rubber strap to comfortably fit the wrist
Luminous index on dial and luminous hands for easy night reading
Domed mineral glass; Genuine Mother-of-pearl dial
Water-resistant to 330 feet (100 M)

Swiss Military Hanowa Women's Sealander White dial watch # 06-6195-02-001

SMW Swiss Military Commando Diver Steel PVD FW.36.44.81

militerium — Thu, 07 Jan 2010 15:56:56 +0000

Product Description
The stand out of the SMW - Swiss Military Watch Serie, is the clear and timeless design and the functionality. The unmistakable characteristics of these watches is the big dial, the clear timeless design and the great brightness. SUPERLUMINOVA on the Dial!... More >>

SMW Swiss Military Commando Diver Steel PVD FW.36.44.81

Swiss Military Hanowa Women’s Sealander White dial watch # 06-6195-1-04-010

militerium — Sun, 03 Jan 2010 22:58:48 +0000

Divers watch with rotating bezel
sturdy rubber strap to comfortably fit the wrist
Luminous index on dial and luminous hands for easy night reading
Domed mineral glass; Genuine Mother-of-pearl dial
Water-resistant to 330 feet (100 M)

Swiss Military Hanowa Women's Sealander White dial watch # 06-6195-1-04-010