Waltham Canadian Issue Pocket Watch. Value?

[lawrence_n]

HELP!!! I have a line on a Waltham 8 day pocket watch, marked to the Canadian military. I'm not totally unlearned about commonwealth militaria, but this is out of my wheelhouse completely. I have no idea of scarcity, fair market value, etc. It seems to be in good condition and back is inscribed C.S., under that is T.P., and under that is 895C and C-broad arrow. So you gentlemen out there, any thoughts? As an aside, in this estate sale is huge whack of military watches, different makers, German, U.S., and British and even a few instrument panel watches. I'm drooling but I don't have deep enough pockets nor ideas about how much to bid.

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[lawrence_n]

Well, I now have further questions for you guys. I bid on, and won, the Waltham watch and another pocket watch, Canadian marked. This one was sold with the sticker "for Sherman Tank". I've tried to do a little research, but the only watch I saw for the Sherman had a magnetic base. I'm attaching pics with the backs showing the C-broad arrow. Any input guys? Ideas of value, scarcity, places to search for information? Any information would be most appreciated.

[Gil Boyd]

Value between £200 - £400 if all working and its the best lucky chaser on the day gets the watch, Canadian ones do fetch slightly mire if so marked.

[gsimmons]

Let’s see the inside, please. The backs should unscrew.
I doubt the Waltham is an 8 day watch. The are both General Service Temporary Pattern or Time Piece(depending on who you ask). They were used for artillery, comparing etc. They’re not particularly rare but, the Canadian marked ones I think are a little harder to find. Interesting watches and the American companies seamed to have made a lot of them for the Commonwealth. I’ve also noticed they seamed to have made a lot of them with black dials.
Try to find a copy of this book, it has quite a few of these pocket watches in it.

[lawrence_n]

Value between £200 - £400 if all working and its the best lucky chaser on the day gets the watch, Canadian ones do fetch slightly mire if so marked.

Thank you. I'll be picking these up on Saturday and have a chance to give them a good once-over. You'll note the pics of the back show the "C-broad arrow", so they're both military issue. I believe the Waltham is a 3 day, but the other is marked as an 8 day. I wish I'd have had deeper pockets. There had to be 30-40 military watches in auction representing Germany, England, the U.S., and the 2 Canadian ones I got. I'd bid on a British naval issue pocket with the chain but without an idea of value, I was reluctant to risk more than I bid.

[Gil Boyd]

The beauty of these fine pieces, is, once you have established who made it, it is exactly that, collecting time pieces by makes names.
If you haven't got one by a certain maker you buy it for your collection. But that of course depends on how far you want to go.
They will NEVER lose their value. If they are immaculate and have provenance they command even more especially with an original chain!

[lawrence_n]

Thank you all! I picked up the watches today and I'm pleased. Both function and keep time just fine and the crystals are not cloudy or scratched. I still have a couple of questions though. I'm assuming the serial numbers on the watches are inventory numbers? First, the Waltham. I've taken some better pics (I hope) than the ones provided by the auctioneer. As you will note, the numerals are discoloured. I'm assuming they were radium painted and over time they've lost the illumination properties. Does anyone know how these were allocated to different units? I'm assuming army rather than air force or navy. On the inside of the screw-off back, it says "Sturdy Nickel Silver" and a serial number. What I had assumed to be scratches are actually very fine numbers and letters in 5 locations around the rim of the back. Maybe dates when the watch was serviced and by whom? It's a 17 jewel movement and in very nice shape. I'm still scratching my head over the one sold as "8 day Sherman Tank watch". Issued to a member of an armoured unit? Part of the inventory of a tank's equipment? On a nice note, the serial number on the back is also engraved on the bottom of the case. Curiously, there are 3 neatly abraded areas; on the movement, the inside of the back, and on the face just below the 12. I'm assuming a makers name has been carefully removed. By whom and why? I'm hoping someone can answer that. On the inside of the back there's an oval with the words "metal-extra blanc-garanti". So, with the new pics and information, can any of you shed any light on what exactly I've got my hands on? A better approximation of value? The only visible flaw is an open seam in the case back on the white faced watch. It looks like some idiot tried to pry the case open not realizing it was a screw back. It doesn't affect function but it is cosmetically unappealing and could probably be easily repaired by someone who knows what they're doing, but it probably degrades the value a little. On a good note, the C-broad arrow stamps denoting Canadian issue are clearly visible.

[lawrence_n]

Thank you all! I picked up the watches today and I'm pleased. Both function and keep time just fine and the crystals are not cloudy or scratched. I still have a couple of questions though. I'm assuming the serial numbers on the watches are inventory numbers? First, the Waltham. I've taken some better pics (I hope) than the ones provided by the auctioneer. As you will note, the numerals are discoloured. I'm assuming they were radium painted and over time they've lost the illumination properties. Does anyone know how these were allocated to different units? I'm assuming army rather than air force or navy. On the inside of the screw-off back, it says "Sturdy Nickel Silver" and a serial number. What I had assumed to be scratches are actually very fine numbers and letters in 5 locations around the rim of the back. Maybe dates when the watch was serviced and by whom? It's a 17 jewel movement and in very nice shape. I'm still scratching my head over the one sold as "8 day Sherman Tank watch". Issued to a member of an armoured unit? Part of the inventory of a tank's equipment? On a nice note, the serial number on the back is also engraved on the bottom of the case. Curiously, there are 3 neatly abraded areas; on the movement, the inside of the back, and on the face just below the 12. I'm assuming a makers name has been carefully removed. By whom and why? I'm hoping someone can answer that. On the inside of the back there's an oval with the words "metal-extra blanc-garanti". So, with the new pics and information, can any of you shed any light on what exactly I've got my hands on? A better approximation of value? The only visible flaw is an open seam in the case back on the white faced watch. It looks like some idiot tried to pry the case open not realizing it was a screw back. It doesn't affect function but it is cosmetically unappealing and could probably be easily repaired by someone who knows what they're doing, but it probably degrades the value a little.

[Flying10uk]

Somewhere I still have the ex-military pocket watch that my father purchased as surplus in the late 1940's for his first job working on a farm. In those days it was common for farm workers to use pocket watches tied to their waist belt because working on a farm in the 1940's UK meant hard manual work. A wrist watch would have quickly been smashed and post WW2 there were plenty of ex-military pocket watches for sale as surplus. The farm were my father first worked in the late 1940's was still using horses for farm work.

The watch was later used by my father while taking part in motor sport in the late 1950's and early 1960's.

If I can refind the said watch, I will post photos.

[30Three]

The Waltham watch appears identical type to that shown in Steve Houghton's British Sniper book. Shown as part of WWII sniper kit!