MK Personal Collection Rare Model A Pilots Wristwatch By Stowa B-Uhr No. 5122 Made in 1942 by Walter Storz

MK Personal Collection Rare Model A LUFTWAFFE Pilots Watch by Stowa B-Uhr No. 5122 Made in 1942 by Walter Storz, Pforzheim Germany. The watch features a classic massive three piece case that measures 55.0mm without the crown. It is stamped with a military issued serial number on the side (FL23883) "FL" stands for flight qualified and the first two numbers indicate the department the watch was assigned to 23 was the code number for the navigation department. Classic Pilots issued "Model A" mat black dial with large Arabic luminescent indexes centrally set with triangular 12 o'clock hour markers and flanked with dots for easier synchronization. The watch has a high grade jumbo movement with indirect center-sweep second/hack mechanism, beautiful fausses cotes/damaskeened decoration on the movement signed "Stowa #5112". The watch is a 20 jewels with a straight-line lever escapement, cut bimetallic balance, blued steel Breguet balance spring with a swan neck micrometer regulator that is in good running condition. As you can see from the photos the watch is in overall very good condition. The German Big Pilot navigation watch was originally developed by the Imperial Air Ministry under the administration of Hermann Goering to supply their pilots with watches which were accurate, robust and easy to read during missions. As a general rule, these watches utilized pocket watch movements with a hacking center seconds hand for ease of synchronization. Each watch included in this selection had originally, before being issued, undergone a strict regulation to chronometer specifications in the Glashutte region. All of the watches are designated as "B-Uhr", standing for B-Uhren, and engraved with FL 23883 number indicating the watch's assignation. "FL" stands for flight qualified; the first two numbers indicate the department the watch was assigned to. 22 was the flight control department, 25 was radio surveillance, and 23 was the code number for the navigation department. The watches by Wempe and Stowa utilized pre-made movements by Unitas and Thommen, while watches made by Lange & Sohne, Laco and IWC had movements developed in house. Lange is unique in the fact that they delivered their movements to other companies to be cased and regulated, this information is engraved within the case back.