Watches from each decade, 2023 edition - Share your watches Part 4: The 40s
You can’t look at the 40s without mention war. There was one. A big one. A horrible war that had a huge impact on people all over the globe. The war also set the tone of the style of the watches of the period.
Without neglecting this I tried to find some positive things from the period. The finding is that many of these events has it’s roots in the war or the effects from it.
In the late 40s the term Big bang was introduced as the term for one of two theories about our Universe. The theory that our Universe was ever expanding from an initial explosion. The competing theory where the steady state where the Universe is roughly the same at any point in time. It would take until the 90s with improved telescopes to definately establish the Big Bang theory to be the winning one.
A major medical achievement was the massproduction of penicillin. After the finding in the late 20s it was not until the 40s the possibility to massproduce the penicillin made it available to a mass market. The world now had a treatment for fatal infections. The war was the driving force for develop methods for this massproduction. To have a sufficient number of penicillin doses was one pre-requisite for the D-day.
After the war cloth was a limited source. By using small pieces of cloth attached to a string the french designer Re’ard found a solution to a problem and introduced a bathing suite, called the bikini, in 1946. For that invention at least half of the population are forever grateful.
The war also an enabler to introduced women into trades that was traditional was reserved for men. A development where there has been no turning back since.
Naturally watches from 40s was to a large extent military watches like field watches and fliegers. They are very popular collectors item of today. They are also raw models for watches produced today. Despite the impact from military watches there where still room for dressier pieces.
https://youtu.be/ZnNnSWfmCc4?si=whNgfLpEuSwdo7X8
If you have watches from the 40s don’t hesitate to share with the rest of us.
I collect new as well as vintage. I have a weak spot for 50s and 60s Omegas. Besides from those I consider myself allround.
The movement on my profile is 1940, a present for the Mrs.
Here are my 1940s watches:
Ceres Military
Westfield Military
Gruen Veri-Thin Precision
And my two favorite watches in the entire collection:
Jaeger LeCoultre Aviator with a 24-hour inner track
and art deco
The JLC Aviator cost twice as much as the rest combined so that's the treasured one. That said, all things being equal, my favorite would have to be the JLC art deco. I keep saying it looks like a Reverso (by virtue of being a JLC rectangular) without the Reverso price tag.
Thank you Sir! Beautiful post once again. Thanks for sharing.
Unfortunately I don't have any watches from that era. My vintage pieces were built 20 or 30 years after the 40s. I am here to admire what others will kindly share though 🙏
Not from the 40's but modeled after the A-11.
Praesidus A-11 Type 44. 32mm of vintage vibe.
Per
Congrats...very well written. Here in the states it seems we are about to have the 'war' thing all over again...Sadly im not sure our younger citizens give a heck. I certainly hope Im wrong. Have a terrific week..
Just the one
Great Post Per!
Here are my 1940s watches:
Ceres Military
Westfield Military
Gruen Veri-Thin Precision
And my two favorite watches in the entire collection:
Jaeger LeCoultre Aviator with a 24-hour inner track
and art deco
The JLC Aviator cost twice as much as the rest combined so that's the treasured one. That said, all things being equal, my favorite would have to be the JLC art deco. I keep saying it looks like a Reverso (by virtue of being a JLC rectangular) without the Reverso price tag.
Wow, quite a line up from the 40s you got there. I was of the impression that you where aiming for one per decade. Beautiful collection and the sector dial of the LeCoultre is stunning. Thank you for sharing.
Thank you Sir! Beautiful post once again. Thanks for sharing.
Unfortunately I don't have any watches from that era. My vintage pieces were built 20 or 30 years after the 40s. I am here to admire what others will kindly share though 🙏
Thank you! Me too is here for admiring others but I will be able to contribute from now on.
Not from the 40's but modeled after the A-11.
Praesidus A-11 Type 44. 32mm of vintage vibe.
Thank you for sharing. It is interesting to see how the design language from 80 years ago is still valid today. Looks great.
Wow, quite a line up from the 40s you got there. I was of the impression that you where aiming for one per decade. Beautiful collection and the sector dial of the LeCoultre is stunning. Thank you for sharing.
I was indeed aiming for just one per decade. The Aviator would've been the sole 40s watch. But I ended up getting the rectangular because, well, the brand is my absolute favorite. The other three didn't cost a lot (around 100 USD each) so they're all impulse buys. But the actual 40s watch of the core collection is the Aviator. Maybe. I obviously don't have self-control.
Per
Congrats...very well written. Here in the states it seems we are about to have the 'war' thing all over again...Sadly im not sure our younger citizens give a heck. I certainly hope Im wrong. Have a terrific week..
Thank you! I’m not old enough to remember WWII myself but for my parents it was a reality. I interested in history and the war and what led up to it always fascinated me.
Just the one
But what a beaty! Thank you for sharing.
Great Post Per!
Thank you Fred🙏
I was indeed aiming for just one per decade. The Aviator would've been the sole 40s watch. But I ended up getting the rectangular because, well, the brand is my absolute favorite. The other three didn't cost a lot (around 100 USD each) so they're all impulse buys. But the actual 40s watch of the core collection is the Aviator. Maybe. I obviously don't have self-control.
I believe you share that shortcoming with a lot of us👍
A brilliant and interesting post Per! Best one of recent times imo.
I have a huge interest in military history as my late father was in 14th Army fighting in Burma and my uncle was killed in 1944 whilst a navigator in Bomber Command over France.
I don't think either would recognise the sorry state of the World today!
A brilliant and interesting post Per! Best one of recent times imo.
I have a huge interest in military history as my late father was in 14th Army fighting in Burma and my uncle was killed in 1944 whilst a navigator in Bomber Command over France.
I don't think either would recognise the sorry state of the World today!
Thank you Craig! Much appreciated🙏 The WWII have had, I assume, a much higher impact for those countries and their people than, like Sweden, stood outside direct fighting. Of course we where effected by it but not to the same level.
My '47 Longines 5774, on the book it appears in.
My '47 Longines 5774, on the book it appears in.
Wow, impressing 👍 Your actual watch. Fantastic looking Longines. Thank you for sharing.
Wow, impressing 👍 Your actual watch. Fantastic looking Longines. Thank you for sharing.
You're welcome. It helps when the watch dealer is also the author of the book!
Great post as always Per!
OK - I will give this a go...
Ah, there you are! I started to get a bit worried. Fantastic contribution as always🥇. Hard to pick a favourite out of those, but the salmon Heuer looks fantastic! Thank you for sharing🙏.
OK I cheated... the Eberhard is a 1939 but I just love it... couple of notes.... the helvetia is wartime.... the Doxa and the Zentra are both wehrmacht issue....
One more... late 40s gold case Ulysse nardin
OK I cheated... the Eberhard is a 1939 but I just love it... couple of notes.... the helvetia is wartime.... the Doxa and the Zentra are both wehrmacht issue....
What a beautiful collection from the 40s! Thank you for sharing🙏
Bit late - but one more: 1940s VC rose gold:
Bit late - but one more: 1940s VC rose gold:
That is an absolut stunner👌Love the sub dial and the railroad track like sector. Thank you for sharing!
That is an absolut stunner👌Love the sub dial and the railroad track like sector. Thank you for sharing!
Thanks my friend! Quite smitten with it myself 😄
Thank for sharing! Many gems but the Doxa and the DuBois is the icing of the cake👌