LRF ANTIQUE WATCHES
TRENCH WATCHES FOR SALE
Be sure to check out the WWI trench watch books I wrote.
"Waltham Trench Watches of the Great War"
"Elgin Trench Watches of the Great War"
"The Inconvenient Truth about the World's First Waterproof Watch"
by Stan Czubernat
Looking for a specific WWI American Trench Watch?
Drop me a line and I'll put you on the "wish list" for that watch.
Listings updated on June 4, 2023
Below is the 1st video I assisted Waltham Watches with for their new
Waltham "Field & Marine" Watch and overall Waltham history.
I'm the narrator and project historical advisor.
The shipment of books have ARRIVED!!!
"The Inconvenient Truth about the World's First Waterproof Watch"
The Story of Charles Depollier and his Waterproof Trench Watches of the Great War"
Swiss Made 2022 Waltham "Field & Marine" Wrist Watch, 316L Stainless Steel Case, 41mm, 26 Jewels, Automatic, Black Sunray Dial, Superluminova, Two Straps, Factory Box, Still Under Warranty
Up for sale today is a 2022 Waltham "Field & Marine" Wrist Watch. Still has 4 years left on the warranty. This model has been completely sold out! The black dial version of this watch was probably the most popular. I have two of these black dial models so I'm selling one of them. The Field & Marine has a rich history due to Charles Depollier, the true inventor of the "world's first waterproof wrist watch". The Waltham Depollier "Field & Marine" Waterproof Watch was certified as waterproof by the United States federal government 8 YEARS before Rolex released the 1926 Oyster. I spent nearly 15 years researching this topic and my latest book "The Inconvenient Truth about the World's First Waterproof Watch, the Story of Charles Depollier and his Waterproof Trench Watches of the Great War" was just released in December of 2022. A signed copy of my book WILL be included with this purchase! I was honored to serve as Waltham's Chief Historian for this new watch project. Many of Depollier's 1918 industry game changing features can be found on this new model. The new Field & Marine watches are made in Mendrisio Switzerland. Watch specs: 41mm, not including the crown. 20mm lug width, 46mm lug tip to lug tip, Swiss made Sellita SW200-1 automatic movement with 26 jewels, 38 hour power reserve, 316L stainless steel case, sunray black dial, Superluminova grade X1 lume, Bayonet Crown, Compressor case back, water resistance is 300m/1,000ft. Very low serial number, this was the 16th one made. The factory original black leather strap (unworn) is also included with the watch. I installed a tan sailcloth strap for my person use, it's included. The original factory box is included. This Waltham Field & Marine Watch is still in superb cosmetic condition, timing is flawless.
1917 18k SOLID GOLD WWI Elgin Trench Watch, 18k SOLID GOLD Keystone Case, Original Factory Crown, BIG Size 0s Version, 17 JEWEL Movement, BOLD Arabic Enamel Military Dial, Thick Blue Steel Hands, Hand Made Boettcher Kitchener Strap with a 9k SOLID GOLD Buckle
Up for sale today is an exceptionally beautiful and EXTREMELY RARE 18k SOLID GOLD 1917 WWI Elgin Trench Watch that features a high end 17 jewel movement, a BOLD Arabic enamel military dial with the correct thick blue steel hands and a Boettcher black leather Kitchener Strap with a 9k solid gold buckle! I have been restoring WWI American made trench watches for 15 years now and I've never seen an American made trench watch case in 18k SOLID GOLD before. So, I contacted several other book authors and renowned collectors who specialize in American made antique watches. Combined we have over 150 years of experience and NOBODY has ever seen an 18k SOLID GOLD American made trench watch case before! This watch is among the RAREST of the RARE! This absolutely remarkable piece of American craftsmanship is in superb original condition! Hard to believe that this watch is over 100 years old! Our Grandfather's knew how to make things that would last for generations! The size 0s 17 jewel movement was just completely taken apart and serviced on 3-3-2023, a brand new mainspring has also been installed. It's in superb running condition and keeping excellent time. This watch has been tested on a professional timegraph 5000 Machine for accuracy so rest assured! Take another look at picture number three again, this movement is clean as a whistle and stunning in its beauty! I'm sure that you have noticed by now that this is not your ordinary trench watch case by a long shot! This is an 18k SOLID GOLD trench watch case that was manufactured by Keystone Watch Case Company, circa 1917. The case back and bezel both snap together very crisply, just as they should. The hinged case back only opens up to 90 degrees, just as it should. This case is highly prized by collectors for its beauty and design features, especially for the 18k solid gold content. Plus, this case still has the original factory 18k SOLID GOLD crown! The case has NOT been polished, just cleaned up. It looks fantastic in its original condition! The inside of the case back is stamped for 18k SOLID GOLD three times. This watch is simply incredible! The enamel dial on this trench watch is among the most desirable that Elgin ever produced, the BOLD Arabic Military Dial! The dial features a white face, BOLD Arabic numerals, outer minute markers, the correct thick blue steel hands for this dial and is signed "ELGIN" near the center. This historic and iconic WWI Elgin Trench Watch has been fitted with a high end Boettcher black leather Kitchener Strap that absolutely makes the watch! The strap features a newly made 9k solid gold buckle! Take a look at picture number two again, this watch looks stunning on the wrist! The strap will fit a wrist up to about 8 inches. It will have a bit of wear on it because I seriously could not resist wearing this one for awhile, can you blame me? Here are the movement details: 1911 Elgin, 17 jewels, size 0s, grade 263, serial number 16077389. This high end movement features a SOLID GOLD center wheel, SOLID GOLD raised jewel chatons and SOLID GOLD balance wheel screws! They just don't make them like this anymore! The 18k SOLID GOLD case measures 39mm lug tip to lug tip, 32mm not including the original factory crown with a 10mm lug diameter. This case still has the original factory glass crystal. It's still in great condition with only a few minor blemishes. A brand new inner sleeve has also been installed in the crown tube, the crown has a nice firm pop, just as it should. This watch is ready to be worn and shown off, it will surely get noticed! I put a lot of time and effort into this Elgin, I'm sure that you will appreciate the quality and quantity of work that has been done. Solid old World craftsmanship at its finest! This truly is a once in a lifetime opportunity to own an 18k SOLID GOLD American made trench watch case! Chances are that you will NEVER see another 18k SOLID GOLD American made trench case in your lifetime! The bar has been reset with this 18k Elgin Trench Watch!
This Elgin Trench Watch has been SOLD.
1918 WWI Elgin Trench Watch, INCREDIBLY RARE Enamel Shadow Box Military Dial with the Second Hand at the 9 O'Clock Position, Joseph Fahys Sterling Silver Cushion Case, Original Factory Crown, Re-Lumed Dial & Hands, Dark Brown Leather Kitchener Strap
Up for sale today is an exceptionally beautiful and INCREDIBLY RARE 1918 WWI Elgin Trench Watch with an enamel 9 o'clock second hand dial, skeleton hands, housed in a sterling silver Fahys cushion case, the original factory crown and a 7 jewel movement! This absolutely remarkable piece of American craftsmanship is in superb cosmetic condition. Our Great Grandfather's knew how to make things that would last for generations! The incredibly beautiful movement was just completely taken apart and serviced on 2-27-2023, a brand new mainspring has also been installed. It's now in superb running condition and keeping excellent time. This watch has been tested on a professional timegraph 5000 Machine for accuracy so rest assured! Take another look at picture number three again, this movement is clean as a whistle and stunningly beautiful! I'm sure that you have noticed by now that this is not your ordinary trench watch case by a long shot! This is a sterling silver trench watch case that was manufactured by Joseph Fahys & Company, circa 1918. The case is in superb condition. Plus, this watch still has the original factory sterling silver crown! This watch is simply incredible! The enamel dial on this WWI Elgin Trench Watch is off the charts RARE! This is an Elgin Shadow Box military dial with the second hand at the 9 o'clock position! This is the ONLY enamel Elgin dial I've ever seen with the second hand at the 9 o'clock position. So rare that it did not make it into my first book "Elgin Trench Watches of the Great War". The dial features a white face, shadow box numerals, an outer track minute markers, the correct blue steel skeleton hands for this dial, signed "ELGIN" near the center with the second hand at the 9 o'clock position. The dial and hands on this Elgin have been re-lumed with safe modern material, vintage brown in color. This historic and iconic WWI Elgin Trench Watch has been fitted with a hand made dark brown leather Kitchener Strap, made in Nebraska, that absolutely makes the watch! Take a look at picture number two again, this watch looks stunning on the wrist! The strap will fit a wrist up to about 7.5 inches. It will have a bit of wear on it because I seriously could not resist wearing this one for a few days, can you blame me? Here are the movement details: 1918 Elgin, 7 jewels, size 3/0s version, serial number 21791735, grade 463. They just don't make them like this anymore! The case measures 38mm lug tip to lug tip, 31.6mm without the original factory crown with a 10mm lug diameter. A brand new glass crystal has been installed using UV cement and a UV curing machine. A brand new inner sleeve has been installed in the crown tube, it now has a nice firm pop, just as it should. This watch is ready to be worn and shown off, it will surely get noticed! I put a lot of time and effort into this incredibly RARE WWI Elgin Trench Watch, I'm sure that you will appreciate the quality and quantity of work that has been done. Solid old World craftsmanship at its finest! You would be seriously hard pressed to find a finer example of this 1918 WWI Elgin Trench Watch that features a Joseph Fahys sterling silver case, original factory crown, incredible re-lumed Shadow Box Military Dial & hands with the second hand at the 9 o'clock position, 7 jewel movement and a hand made dark brown leather Kitchener Strap! This one sets the bar!
This Elgin Trench Watch has been SOLD.
1919 Waltham Depollier "THERMO" Waterproof Watch, Depollier Developed Waterproof Technology, 36mm Threaded .830 Silver Hermetic Case, Original Factory Screw Down Crown, High End 15 Jewel Movement, Factory Military Grade Yellow Crystal with a Hand Made
Tan KHAKI STRAP and Sterling Silver Slider Clasp
This 1919 Waltham Depollier "THERMO" Waterproof Watch is HEAVILY featured in my latest book.
"The Inconvenient Truth about the World's First Waterproof Watch,
The Story of Charles Depollier and his Waterproof Trench Watches of the Great War"
341 pages, hardbound, ISBN: 978-0-578-29133-8
Up for sale today is a watch that has been missing from the historical record for decades. This is the HIGH END version of the Waltham Depollier "Field & Marine" Waterproof Watch. The Field & Marine" was made of nickel. This highly elusive model was named the 1919 Waltham Depollier 'THERMO" Waterproof Watch. The Waltham Depollier "THERMO" Waterproof Watches were only made in .830 silver and 14k solid gold. This is the SILVER version! The side of the case reads "DEPOLLIER WATERPROOF WATCH TRADEMARK". This absolutely remarkable piece of American craftsmanship is in SUPERB condition and has been mechanically restored! Hard to believe that this waterproof watch is 103 years old! All modern dive watches and waterproof watches today can be traced back to this model, the technology developed by Depollier started it all! Our Grandfather's knew how to make things that would last for generations! The movement was just completely taken apart and serviced on 1-18-2022, a brand new mainspring has also been installed. It's in superb running condition and keeping excellent time. This watch has been tested on a professional timegraph 5000 Machine for accuracy so rest assured! Take another look at picture number three again, this 15 jewel movement is clean as a whistle and stunning in its beauty! I'm sure that you have noticed by now that this is not your ordinary trench watch case by a long shot! This is a .830 SILVER waterproof trench watch case that was manufactured by J. Depollier & Son in 1919. The FIVE Depollier patent dates that made this waterproof watch possible are stamped on the inside of the case back, 1916 - 1919. Case number: 289. Years of R&D by Depollier went into this case design! This is a fully hermetic waterproof case so the bezel and case back are both threaded, the threading is in excellent condition! Nobody over the past 103 years has tried to open the case the wrong way by prying it open. So many of these cases have been destroyed by somebody trying to improperly pry the case open but this one is just superb. This case is highly prized by collectors for its beauty & design features and incredible historical importance. This waterproof technology developed by Charles Depollier was tested by Lieutenant Colonel Mauborgne of the United States Army Signal Corps in 1918 and it passed the tests with flying colors. He was the Chief of the United States Army Signal Corps Engineering & Research Division when he tested this watch design. He would soon thereafter purchase 10,000 of them for the US Army. Lieutenant Colonel Mauborgne would later become a TWO STAR Major General and the Chief Signal Officer of the United States Army. Depollier developed the world's first waterproof wrist watch that actually worked and kept the water out! Plus, this case still has the original factory silver crown! The case has not been polished, just cleaned. This watch is simply incredible! The enamel dial on this trench watch is among the most desirable that Waltham ever produced, the Shadow Box Military Dial! The dial features a white face, shadow box numerals, outer minute markers, the correct blue steel skeleton hands for this dial and is signed "WALTHAM" near the center. The dial and skeleton hands have been re-lumed using safe modern material. Very nice dark brown color for that very desirable vintage look! This historic and iconic American trench watch has been fitted with a hand made 16mm tan KHAKI STRAP and a sterling silver slider clasp that absolutely makes the watch! Take a look at picture number two again, this watch looks stunning on the wrist! The strap will fit a wrist up to 8.5 inches. It will have a bit of wear on it because I seriously could not resist wearing this one for a few days, can you blame me? It's kind of like Ferris Bueller and that Ferrari, if you had access to one would you just leave it in a garage? I think not! Here are the movement details: 1919 Waltham, 15 jewels, size 3/0s, serial number 21413784, grade 365, model 1907. The high end movement features a solid gold center wheel, solid gold raised jewel chatons and solid gold balance wheel screws! They just don't make them like this anymore! The case measures a whopping 44mm lug tip to lug tip, 36mm not including the original factory crown with a nice and wide 16mm lug diameter. The case weighs an incredible 39.6 grams of .830 silver without the movement or 1.39 ounces. That is a lot of silver considering your run of the mill WWI sterling silver trench watch case only weighs about 12 grams. This EXTREMELY RARE "THERMO" model still has a yellow military crystal. Charles Depollier wrote a booklet back in 1917 titled "The Watch in the Trenches", on pages 13-14 he discusses the need for a dark colored crystal. This was intended to lessen the brightness of the radium lume. You certainly didn't want an enemy sniper taking you out from across "no-man's land". The original dark yellow crystal has some scratches, but nothing that I would consider major. This watch winds and sets exactly as it should and the screw down crown locks into place just as it should! It has no issues. The two shoulders that the crown screws down into are also in excellent condition. This watch is ready to be worn and shown off, it will surely get noticed! I put a lot of time and effort into this Waltham Depollier, I'm sure that you will appreciate the quality and quantity of work that has been done. Solid old World craftsmanship at its finest! You would be seriously hard pressed to find a ANOTHER example of this 1919 Waltham Depollier "THERMO" Waterproof Watch featuring a high end 15 jewel movement, re-lumed shadow box military dial & hands, factory original yellow military grade crystal, screw down crown, Depollier .830 silver case with the five Depollier patent dates stamped into the case back with a hand made tan KHAKI STRAP with a slider clasp. All sales are final, no returns.
This Waltham Depollier "THERMO" Waterproof Watch has been SOLD!
