Wehrmacht Pocket Watch By Helvetia

[Rossi]

Thought I would post up some photos of my pocket watch made by Helvetia. Has a nice Edelweiss linked 45 Gram weighted sliver chain with 835 marking on each link. Watch keeps great time and looks good with my Gebirgsjager items. Some details below on what I have been able to learn about these watches.

Later in WWII The General Watch Co started to provide the German Army with Helvetia Wrist and Pocket watches marked DH and a serial number to the rear of the case. The Helvetia DH pocket watches are all manufactured to an identical standard. They have black dials with luminous numerals and hands.

The DH numbers fall within a range from approximately D7000H to D13000H and in this range the numbers are spread more or less evenly between pocket and wrist watches. DH numbers are believed to have been issued to different manufacturers in quite small ranges so it is difficult to work out exactly how many pocket watches were actually supplied by Helvetia.

The nickel cases do not contain any Helvetia serial or case numbers. The DH markings on the back of the watches appear to have been engraved with a pantograph rather than punched like most of the DH wristwatch numbers.

The watch has Helvetia 32A movements, the same as used in the earlier Huber pocket watches. The movements were fitted with incabloc shock protection as opposed to Helvetia’s own shock protection or the Shocprotec used in the earlier Huber watches supplied to the German Army.

[BlackCat1982]

Very nice timepiece Rossi, love the watch chain as well. Someone's pride and joy once upon a time.