A Look At The Watches That Served Our Soldiers
On Tuesday, 06 June 1944, nearly 160,000 Allied troops crossed the English Channel and stormed the beaches of northwestern France, initiating a carefully coordinated plan that would ultimately lead to Allied victory in Europe. Long before the digital age, what tool helped orchestrate an invasion that shifted the outcome of the war? The humble wristwatch.
In our new video on the W.O.E. YouTube Channel, we discuss the watches used by service members on D-Day and throughout World War II, including the A-11, the US Army’s ORD DEPT watches, the iconic Dirty Dozen references, and more. Because in war, time matters.
Enjoy episode twenty-one of W.O.E. TV.
Happy Hunting,
-W.O.E.
3 comments
The “Air Navigators Watch” produced by Omega, Longines, Jaeger Le Coultre, Movado och Zenith from 1940. Used and favoured by bomber navigators. It had two crowns and a turnable outer bezel with 60 min markings that you managed with a 4 o´clock crown beneath the 3 o´clock crown.
– And please, moderate the comments regarding Russias invasion of sovereign Ukraine. This is about watches, FSB Trolls should stay in the shadows continuing not knowing what is happening to them;-)
Americans will not save Europe this time, Russia has already won in Ukraine with our Svoboda watches on our arms
It would be interesting to showcase the watches from the other side of WWII — the German aviation watches (Fliegeruhren) with giant 55mm cases, produced by A. Lange & Söhne, IWC, Laco, Stowa, and Wempe. Notably, IWC also supplied watches to the Axis powers.