*GSTP RAF /Army Issue WW2 White-faced Pocket Watch by Frenca*
A British Royal Air Force/Army pocket watch by the Swiss maker, Buser Frères & Cie S.A. under their ‘Frenca’ brand. A white metal nickel open face case which has a snap on back and bezel. A white enamel dial with Arabic numerals and no lumen except on the hands. The face is inscribed “Frenca, Swiss Made”. The back has the the British Broad Arrow, followed by the letters “G.S.T.P”, (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) followed by the army stores numbers Q8958. 5cm diameter.
Pocket watches issued by the Royal Air Force were identical to those issued by the army except for lacking luminosity. Navigators, particularly during night bombing operations, often preferred 15-jewel pocket watches over wristwatches. The larger size of the pocket watch allowed navigators to place them conveniently on charts, facilitating easier readability of the time.
Established in 1892 in Niederdorf, Switzerland, Buser Frères & Cie S.A. began as an ebauche specialist, crafting over 20 calibers, both manually wound and automatic. They produced various movements, including early cylinder and lever movements, open-face hunter movements, and chronometer-grade movements; recognizable by the trademark capital ‘B’ within a triangle. Buser only started making complete watches in 1916. Sub-brands like Frenca, Nidor, Esta, Neo, Tiptop, Buwat, and others were part of their portfolio. In 1961, Buser joined forces with Revue, Vulcain, and Phénix to form Manufactures d’Horlogerie Suisse Réunis SA (M.S.R.). In 1973, Marvin also joined M.S.R., and from then on, the Buser name diminished in prominence in the watchmaking industry.
*Condition*
The face is in very good condition with a very clean face and no lumen except on the hands. 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 minor scratches and marks commensurate with its age and service. We can open the watch on request. Case in overall good condition. Please see photographs as part of the condition report.
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