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*WORLD WAR 2 BEOBACHTUNGS-UHREN

If you think that your Panerai
or new IWC Big Pilot is big, wait till you
see these...The Beobachtungs-Uhren ("B-Uhr",
observers watch) with a diameter of
55mm
excluding crown, made for the WWII German Luftwaffe (Airforce).
These large watches
were used in aircraft navigation & known to be attached to the arm with long leather straps that fit around the
outside of the flying jackets. Contracted by German Airforce from several fine Swiss & German
manufacturers all to the same very high specification.
There were five manufacturers: A. Lange &
Söhne, IWC, Laco, Stowa, and Wempe. For collectors, the IWC are the most
highly valued (which is very very hard to find), followed by Lange, and
then the others. This year, IWC offered a rare
connoisseur's item for the benefit of a humanitarian organization on its
Internet auction with its Big Pilot's watch dating from 1940 with
similar look and size of what we present here minus the dial design.
With a minimum bid of US$ 25,000 (closed at US$ 42,900 on 17 December 2005),
this treasured horological legend beats all the opening bid records of
previous IWC auctions, thus emphasizing the significance of this
precious collectors' item. Not only is this the largest watch ever
produced by IWC, but it is also one of the manufactory's most
sought-after collectors' watches. The value of this rarity has increased
continuously due to the brisk demand, yet it is exceedingly difficult to
come by one of these masterpieces. IWC made only 1,000 examples of the
Big Pilot's watch in 1940, and very few of these have been preserved. It
is therefore no surprise that the watch scarcely ever comes up for
auction.
The scarcity
of IWC version and its price tag signifies the potential of the other
makes. The three
we have here are made by Lange & Sohne (in the middle) and Laco. These rare collector's pieces have continued
to increase in value and have long since achieved the status of a
sought-after object among connoisseurs. The fully luminous
black dial has an inner 12-hour ring read by reference to the short
stubby hour hand, while the circumference is graduated for the seconds
and numbered at every five-minutes points. All 3 are housed in a huge Steel/Grey
gun metal coated snap back Case
referenced FI 23883 with a
diameter of 55 mm !!!! With black original Dial in
VERY GOOD Condition, arabic Numerals, blued Steel luminious Hands, Sweep Second.
I was
looking for any one of these as a Xmas gift for myself in 2006, and I got 3 of them.
Well, some guys have all the luck !!!!
Love the look of the watch, have worn all 3 three of them separately and
Man...don't they look good !!! Although more than 60 years old, they
make many LARGE SIZE current model watches look so pale when you put them
side by side....full of vintage charm with great historical value.
Look at the facial expressions of the few pilots on the left, need I say more? Period.
PRIVATECOLLECTION
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