Vintage Hanhart Stopwatch - German - WW2 Era

Description: This is a fully functional Hanhart stopwatch made in Germany. This particular model corresponds exactly to a number of stopwatches noted in several reference books as having been issued to the German Kriegsmarine (Navy) in WW2. The watch looks identical to a number of pictures in reference books both on the outside and inside. Given that, I make absolutely no claim that this watch was used in WW2. I can only make the claim that it is from that period (late 1930s to 1945). I found and bought the watch at a flea market in Frankfurt, Germany in 2001. As you can see, there is a crack in the "crystal," and the back of the watch has numerous scratches. Diameter: 51.5 mm Top of crown to bottom: 65.5 mm Thickness: 14.5 mm Weight: 72 g This stopwatch is noted as having "7 Rubis" (7 Jewels) on the face. On the inside, there are a number of marks. On the back of the case, there are three separate jeweler's marks. They are clearly inscribed using the common European way to write numbers at the time. Oddly, one can read each of the numbers and letters except for the last figure in each of the three inscriptions. I do not know if that is a letter, number, or a symbol. The last symbol may be that of the watchmaker. It was not uncommon for the watchmaker to use a symbol to identify themselves. Additionally, the back of the case has the number "117" stamped on it. This is a Hanhart Caliber 55, first introduced in 1930. The picture in the description is from the Ranfft Watches database On the watch mechanism, there are a number of marks:It is stamped with the letters "AH" in a circle. The initials "AH" stand for Albert Hanhart, who founded the Hanhart watch company in 1882 in Diessenhofen, Switzerland.The movement is also stamped in German, "Ancre 7 Rubis" and right below "Antimagnetisch." "Ancre" is the French word for "anchor." This indicates that the watch has an anchor escapement (lever escapement). The lever escapement is a type of mechanical watch escapement used in the vast majority of modern mechanical watches. It is known for its reliability and accuracy. "7 Rubis" translates to "7 Rubies" in English. This refers to the number of jewel bearings in the movement. Jewels in a watch movement are used to reduce friction at pivot points, improving the accuracy and longevity of the watch. Rubies (or synthetic rubies) are commonly used for this purpose. Number of Jewels: A movement with 7 jewels typically includes the following:2 jewels for the balance wheel pivots (upper and lower)2 jewels for the pallet fork pivots2 jewels for the escape wheel pivots1 jewel for the impulse jewel on the balance wheel "Antimagnetisch" is German for "antimagnetic." On the speed adjustment lever, there are the letters "SR" on one side and "FT" on the other:SR (Slow/Retard): Indicates the direction to move the lever to slow down the watch.FT (Fast/Tard): Indicates the direction to move the lever to speed up the watch.

Price: 100 USD

Location: Cary, North Carolina

End Time: 2024-09-08T01:47:40.000Z

Shipping Cost: N/A USD