Welcome to my homepage. I have tried to present my watch collection in the context of each conflict or individual who would have worn such a timepiece. It is a very modest collection accumulated over several years. I have serviced each one regularly by a military timepiece connoiseur and one of the finest watch makers Mr. Chung at www.timeseoul.com You can enjoy my gallery of photos and if you wish to buy or discuss a piece do not hesitate to contact me at igloo105@hotmail.com.

The Military history of Imperial Russia is that of the Russian Empire from its creation in 1721 by Peter the Great, until the Russian Revolution of 1917, which led to the establishment of the Soviet Union. Watches used within its army were usually Swiss Paul Buhre which were the main suppliers to the Imperial Court.

The Austro Hungarian Empire was in a serious conflict with Serbia and over the course of July and August 1914, caused the start of World War I, as Russia mobilized in support of Serbia, setting off a series of counter-mobilizations.

The First World War marked transition point for the watch making industry. It was a time when individuals began to wear their watches on the wrist. Here we can observe the seated soldier wearing his pocket watch in a specially designed leather holder meant to be worn on the wrist.

German soldiers breaking the border post into Poland. The German army at the start of World War Two was very well prepared. Besides top of the line fighting equipment, even regular soldiers were provided with isuued watches.

This amazing photo is witness to the last cavalry charge in Europe which took place sometime in September 1939. The Polish Army, though unprepared to face modern warfare did posess a very rich military tradition.

A photo of the German Army's Victory parade in Warsaw in October 1939. In many cases Wermacht soldiers were supplied with simple yet rugged and durable timepieces some of which were stamped with a serial code as well as the letters DH denoting Dienst Heer or a Military Service watch.

After the onset of the Industrial Revolution the English Army had sought to equip its forces with the latest technology. It was one of the first countries in the world to supply its soldiers with military timepieces

The Kriegsmarine (or "War Navy") was the name of the German Navy between 1935 and 1945, during the Nazi regime, superseding the Reichsmarine. Standard service timepieces were marked KM on the dials and were supplied by Swiss and German manufacturers. Movements had 15 Jewels and were housed in waterproof cases.

Luftwaffe's Ace Erich Hartmann (right) wearing his prized Hanhart Chronograph One Pusher circa 1940.The highest scoring ace of all time with 352 aerial kills he flew Bf 109s (Me-109s) against the Soviet MiGs and Yaks for almost three years. Hartmann' score is unrivaled in the history of aviation.

Issued RAF type watches modified into PAF, the Polish Air Force was re-born in 1940 in Northolt. The 303 Kosciuszko Squadron was formed in Britain. Its pilots recruited from the Pursuit Brigades, which had fought with distinction in the Polish campaign of '39. It was the hardest-hitting unit in the RAF Fighter Command. Featured is a photo of Ace Stan Skalski (23 Victories)

As the fighting became increasingly difficult in the east (especially in Russia) Germany army timepieces were equipped with top of the line technology, minimum 15 jewels, shock resistant with a luminous dial and an Incablock system

Towards the mid pat of the Second World War the American Army was provided with very nice wristwatches destined for both the army as well as the navy. At first fitted with snap back cases, these were later improved upon by having rugged waterproof cases fitted.

Many interesting pieces were issued to both the American Navy and Air Force and Marines during the Second World War. American timepieces such as Hamilton and Elgin were manufactured to a very high standard of quality.

The main watch supplier to the Japanese Army and Airforce was Seikosha which produced large pocketwatch conversions worn around a pilots jacket sleeve. In addition to large aviation pieces Seikosha made smaller version timepieces worn by members of the Imperial Army

Eventually the German army became bogged down in Russia and began to lose the war on both fronts. Many timepieces were confiscated by Russian troops and can to this day be found in numerous flea markets of the former Soviet Union.

Russian Troops Enter Berlin. At the end of World War II, Russian troops plundered all they could find in a defeated Germany. In some cases entire watch factories were simply stolen and moved to the Soviet Union from Germany introducing the Soviets to advanced watchmaking technology.

One of the few high quality Russian time pieces worth mentioning would be the Poljot Shturmanskie which Yuri Gagarin took on the world's first space mission dated April 12, 1961. Made at the First Moscow Watch Factory (1MWF)named after S.M. Kirov which began production of precision instruments for the airforce, navy and later space sysyem engineering.

The Korean War began in 1950 and ended with an armistice on July 27, 1953. It started as a civil war between North Korea and South Korea, both existing as provisional governments competing for control after the division of Korea, but escalated into a multinational conflict once North Korea launched a massive invasion of the South.

Since World War I, the USAF and its predecessors have taken part in military conflicts throughout the world. What started as a small U.S. assistance program to train the South Vietnamese grew into a massive military and naval effort by the US with four major areas of combat operations. All troops were well equipped and in some cases used very advanced time pieces

In many cases American soldiers in Vietnam were provided with cheaper army issued timepieces. However some chose to purchase their own non-issue watches such as the soldier in this photo. The Swiss company Ollech and Wajs was one of the most popular non issue choices.

In this section I would like to feature some watches of unknown military origin. If anyone has any suggestion concerning their history please let me know.