SKU: SELZ/PWKM

Military pocket watches, along with their civilian equivalents, are seeing a significant increase in popularity. Historically, they were employed for both land-based and naval applications. During WWII, they were frequently used by German Forces (Wehrmacht, Kriegsmarine, and Luftwaffe), as well as British and American forces. The primary reason for their popularity was that wristwatches at the time were usually very small, with an average diameter of just 32mm, making them hard to read. In contrast, pocket watches had a larger size, close to 50mm, which made the time much easier to see.

This classic WW2 pattern Selza* military watch features a small subsidiary dial second hand and is based on the typical designs used by the German Kriegsmarine (German Navy) during World War II. A common feature of these watches was the initials "K.M" on the dial, short for Kriegsmarine, and they typically had light-colored dials in either cream or white, as opposed to black, which was used for other branches of the German forces. This watch is closely based on one of Selza's WW2 designs. Although the original watches are now quite rare and fetch high prices, this watch is outwardly almost indistinguishable from the factory's WW2 models. It has been upgraded to a more scratch-resistant glass crystal instead of the plastic acrylic crystals used on the original watches, while retaining a traditional 17-jewel hand-winding mechanical movement.

During WWII, Selza, along with Siegerin, were two of the leading manufacturers for the Kriegsmarine (German Navy). They also produced watches for the Luftwaffe and the Wehrmacht. Most German military pocket watches during the war were fairly similar and shared much of the same case design and general appearance. There were a large number of manufacturers, of which Siegerin and Selza are just two, but many of the other manufacturers are now defunct.

A group of military watch enthusiasts has compiled a list of these manufacturers, which appears on their website at this link. The list seems to be almost complete, and no doubt they would appreciate it if anyone could fill in the few remaining gaps.

This particular pocket watch features a solid stainless steel case made from Military Grade 316L stainless steel with a subsidiary dial second hand.

SPECIFICATIONS:

• Diameter: 47.5mm
• Length with Crown: 58mm
• Thickness: 14mm
• Crystal Width: 40mm
• Crystal Type: Domed Glass
• Movement: Cal. 9011-PI, 17 Jewels, 18 000 A/h
• Case Material: Stainless Steel
• Caseback: Stainless Steel
• Luminosity: Luminova
• Included: Complete with chain
• Packaging: Delivered in its original box
• Guarantee: 2-year factory guarantee

MWC are factory-authorized distributors for Selza watches.