DESCRIPTION:
EPW - Wittnauer, Swiss, possible prototype of military Type 5742-1 chronograph with 30-minute register, 50.5mm, chrome-plated base metal OF original Wittnauer case with contract markings to rear, knurled edges to bezel and rear, metal dial, SW-SS, lever escapement, 18J, wheel satin nickel finish, s#358658 with matching serial number marked to case rear. A rare piece that is the only example of this type we have encountered by Wittnauer, we note that the rear of this watch's case is blank in the space following the "Contract No." marking. We interpret this as likely suggesting the present watch was a trial or prototype piece Wittnauer supplied to compete for the U.S. military's contract for the Type 5742-1 "Navigational Stop Watch" but to our knowledge no regular production from Wittnauer was ultimately contracted for this 5742-1 design. In contrast, a sizable production of the Type 5742-1 for U.S. military service was instead provided by Hamilton, Breitling, and Breitling-Wakmann. In all, a very intriguing and attractive piece for the military collector that wants something truly unusual in their collection.
CONDITION:
Mvt: Running, good chronograph and minute register function, nearly mint cosmetic mvt condition overall, some scattered small micro-fine scratches and mild surface spots; dial with rectangular strip of what appears to be glue or shellac neatly over portion of signature area between "I" and "E" in "WITTNAUER," otherwise nearly flawless; excellent hands with some minor areas of paint loss and some small areas of paint touch-up; case shows virtually no wear, scattered fine scratches and abrasions to rear from handling, no dents or dings, superb contract marking detail, circular rear finish is fully intact; tight bow, crown shows hardly any wear; good glass crystal.
ESTIMATE:
$1000
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$2000
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