*GSTP Army Issue WW2 Black faced Pocket Watch, Model 1609 by Waltham*
A Waltham British military, pocket watch. A black enamel dial with brown Arabic numerals, lumed at the quarters. The face is signed “Waltham”. A snap on back and bezel. The back has the letters “G.S.T.P”, followed by the army stores number “G1224” followed by the British Broad Arrow (G.S.T.P. stands for General Services Timepiece/Temporary Pattern, which indicates that the watch was purchased by the British government for the armed forces 1939-1945). 5cm diameter.
Founded by Aaron Lufkin Dennison in 1849 in Roxbury, Massachusetts, in 1854 the Waltham Watch Company relocated to Waltham, Massachusetts. Also called the American Waltham Watch Co. and the American Watch Co., they produced approximately 40 million watches, clocks, speedometers, compasses, time delay fuses, and other precision instruments in the United States between 1850 and 1957.
During the Second World War, Waltham contributed to the war effort by manufacturing two field-grade US Army Ordnance pocket watches, namely the Model 1609 with 9 jewels and the Model 1617 with 17 jewels. By 1944, the initial batches of the Model 1609 reached England, featuring some with a black luminous dial. Primarily issued to the Royal Navy, these watches were also distributed to the Army.
*Condition*
The face is in good condition with some wear to the painted lumed Arabic numerals. The stem works to pull to change the time and to wind the watch. The second hand works and the watch appears to keep time. The case has some scratches and marks commensurate with its age and service. We can open the back on request but it appears to tick and keeps time. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
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